Landfilling of wetland continues to create tension in Vazhathuruthi
Tension is brewing in the Vazhathurthi area near the Sarovaram Biopark in Kozhikode once again after the workers of the Sarovaram Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi and the Vazhathuruthi Residents' Association successfully stopped an attempt to continue the landfilling of Kottooli wetlands adjacent to a school compound.
The workers noticed on Saturday (May 17, 2025)afternoon that the concrete that covers the courtyard of the school was being removed using an earthmover and being dumped into the wetland. This is the same area where they had spotted ongoing landfilling in November 2024 and obtained an order from the Kerala high court to maintain status quo.
'The school authorities claimed that they were only removing the concrete to lay tiles in the courtyard. However, we could see that more construction waste was dumped alongside the building in the wetland, where landfilling was carried out earlier. There were also tyremarks of the earthmover leading to the wetlands', said P.M. Jeejabai Secretary of the Vazhathuruthy Residents Association, that has been active in checking the ongoing landfilling of Kottooly wetlands at Vazhathuruthi.
While the local people assembled and questioned the school management over the actions, the Revenue Department confiscated the earthmover.
A team of officials led by Village Officer-in charge P. Dhanya of the Vengeri Village reached the spot and noted that the landfilling was indeed a violation of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008.
Meanwhile, the Samithi is planning to approach the District Collector with a petition under the Right to Information Act in connection with the disappearance of another earthmover, which was confiscated by the Revenue Department and stored in one of the compounds in the locality. The earthmover, which was confiscated in November 2024 after it was allegedly used to destroy mangroves in the wetlands, was reportedly stolen on Friday night. 'They had destroyed CCTVs in our locality so that we could not know where it was taken to', Ms. Jeejabai said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
20 hours ago
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu government is planning to constitute Special Task Force to identify and deport illegal immigrants
The Tamil Nadu government is planning to set up a Special Task Force to deport Bangladeshis and Rohingyas (Myanmar nationals) staying without valid travel documents in the State. Detention camps may be established soon at select locations to detain the illegal immigrants while the process of their deportation is being initiated. The decision is part of a nationwide operation launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to identify and deport Bangladeshis and Rohingyas illegally staying in the country. The MHA wrote to the Chief Secretaries of all the States/the Union Territories, asking them to establish the Special Task Force in all districts under the supervision of the police to detect, identify, and deport the foreign nationals staying without valid travel documents. After Operation Sindoor, hundreds of such illegal immigrants were identified in different States and handed over to the Border Security Force. They were 'pushed back' to their respective countries. A majority of the illegal immigrants sent back had settled in Gujarat and the States along the India-Bangladesh border such as Assam, Tripura, and Meghalaya. 'We are in the process of setting up an STF and detention centres. Identifying illegal immigrants and taking action against them under the Foreigners Act and the Passports Act is an ongoing process in Tamil Nadu. Cases were registered against several persons and steps were taken to deport them in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs,' a top police officer told The Hindu on Wednesday. Policy decision Asked why the Tamil Nadu government had not constituted the STF or established detention centres even a month after the MHA issued the advisory, the officer said that since the matter was a policy decision and the management of special camps for foreign nationals being a subject of the Revenue Department, a proposal had been sent to the authorities concerned for taking a decision. In Tamil Nadu, 364 illegal immigrants have been arrested since 2022 and 202 of them have been taken into custody in 2025 alone. The concentration of illegal immigrants is more in Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Erode, and Chennai and its suburbs. It is suspected that a majority of them have acquired Aadhaar cards and other proof of address or identity based on fake documents. The illegal migrants are employed in the textile, construction, and hospitality industries in these districts, police sources said. The MHA asked the State law-enforcement agencies to verify the claims of suspected Bangladeshis/Rohingyas. If they claim Indian nationality and residence in some other State/Union Territory, the police or Revenue Department officials were advised to get the matter verified by the District Magistrates. The District Magistrates would ensure that an appropriate report was sent to the deporting State or Union Territory after proper verification within 30 days. During the period of 30 days, the suspected person shall be kept in the detention or holding centre. If no report was received within one month, the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer could take action to deport the suspected Bangladeshis/Rohingyas after capturing their biometrics, facial photographs, and demographic details on the Foreigners Identification Portal, the sources added.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Haryana police yet to respond to notice over professor's arrest: NHRC
The Haryana police have failed to respond to a notice issued by the National Human Rights Commission over the recent arrest of Ashoka University professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad for his remarks on Operation Sindoor in social media posts, the commission said on Tuesday (June 10, 2025). Mr. Mahmudabad, an associate professor of political science, was arrested by the Haryana police over his social media posts on May 18, leading to widespread discussions on how public discourse on military activity like Operation Sindoor should be conducted. In response to a request under the Right to Information Act, 2005 by The Hindu, the NHRC said the Haryana police had not responded to its notice within the one-week deadline, which expired on May 27. The NHRC had taken cognisance of a news report from May 20 and issued notice to the Director General of Police of Haryana over Mr. Mahmudabad's arrest, saying in the notice that the report had disclosed a 'prima facie' violation of the professor's human rights and liberty. The commission called for a detailed report on the case from the DGP within seven days. The NHRC said in its reply to the RTI request that the commission had on Monday sent a reminder to the Haryana police and that the case continued to be under consideration. A day after the NHRC issued notice to the Haryana police, however, Mr. Mahmudabad was granted bail under specific conditions by the Supreme Court and released from custody. In the reminder sent to the Haryana police on June 9, the NHRC said, 'The requisite report has not been received so far. It is requested that the report called for be sent to the commission by 16/06/2025.'
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Rubble, relocation and unkept promises
On the morning of June 1, bulldozers rolled into Madrasi Camp in South Delhi's Jangpura and began tearing through homes that had been painstakingly built over six decades. Within hours, what had once been a tight-knit, working-class settlement of 370 Tamil-origin families was reduced to mere rubble. The demolition was carried out by the Public Works Department, under the supervision of the Delhi Police, the Revenue Department, and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), following a May 9 order by the Delhi High Court. The court had deemed the settlement an 'unauthorised encroachment' on public land, obstructing drain cleaning efforts near the Barapullah drain. The court directed that rehabilitation be provided as per the Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015. The demolition, the court stated, was essential to prevent potential flooding during the monsoon season. Yet, a week after the demolition, the reality that emerges is not one of successful relocation or resettlement but one marked by dislocation, distress and disillusionment.
