Latest news with #Sugathakumari
New Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan expresses concern over Sabarimala airport
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, on Wednesday, expressed his concern over the possible environmental damages that the proposed Sabarimala Airport would cause. He was speaking at the book release function of 'Sugathaparvam', a book on the life of the late poetess and environmental activist Sugathakumari, written by journalist C Rahim. 'We have four airports in our small state. The construction of this new airport might lead to loss of mountains and cause severe environmental damage,' he said. The senior director stressed that his words should not be misconstrued but seen as a citizen's genuine concerns, adding that this would only serve to increase the issues of wild animal invasion into populated areas. 'Hindus misunderstand that they will benefit from this airport, but it will happen otherwise. The authorities should reconsider this project,' he said. The book 'Sugathaparvam' delves into the life of Malayalam poet Sugathakumari as an environmental activist, and focusses on the footprints she left in the ecological sphere of Kerala, including her protests at Aranmula, Silent Valley, etc. Olive Books chairman M K Muneer MLA, who presided over the event reminisced about his experience of working with the poetess during his tenure as a minister. 'It was Sugathakumari Teacher who suggested the name 'Nirbhaya' for the protection scheme for women and children,' he said. Architect G Shankar, who received the book's first copy post-release, spoke about the various initiatives she took, including the Krishnavanam forest project and silent valley protests. 'I am a person who grew with the poems of teacher,' he reminisced and added that she passed away with many unfulfilled dreams. 'This book deserves a special place among the books that retell the life of great people,' said dubbing artist Prof Aliyar.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Controversy reignites over land use as plan to convert Aranmula Punja returns
Nearly a decade after the Aranmula airport agitation faded into memory, the lush paddy fields and wetlands along the banks of the Pampa are once again at the heart of a raging storm. Alarmed by a move to set up an electronics manufacturing cluster on the ecologically fragile terrain, the Aranmula Anti-Airport Protest Committee has swung back into action. At a preliminary meeting held on Tuesday, the committee, once led by the late environmentalist Sugathakumari, resolved to fiercely oppose any attempt to reclaim the wetland known as Aranmula Punja. According to the committee, the original airport project proposed by the KGS Group had been shelved after it was discovered that nearly 90% of the 344-acre site consisted of wetlands. Now, under a different name but with the same intentions, the group is back, not just seeking approval for the new project but also asking the government to cancel the surplus land acquisition order tied to the scrapped airport plan. 'This land has supported active paddy cultivation for seven years straight,' says K.S. Suresh, secretary of the protest committee. 'Nearly 3,000 tonnes of paddy was harvested in just the first week of May. The next crop is due soon. More importantly, these wetlands act as floodplains that protect the entire region during the monsoon, ' he says. Mr. Suresh also cited an earlier verdict of the National Green Tribunal, which cancelled the environmental clearances for the airport project on grounds that it will result in the conversion of paddy fields and wetlands. The electronics cluster proposal has already triggered strong opposition within the government too. The Agriculture department has strongly opposed the plan, arguing that the site in question is clearly unfit for industrial activity. A scathing report by the Agriculture department on TOFL's application for exemption under Section 81(3) of the Kerala Land Reforms Act warns that flattening the wetlands will lead to drought, flooding, and the collapse of agriculture in the area. Noting that the proposed project site spans four villages namely Aranmula, Kidangannur, Mallapuzhassery and Mezhuveli, the report also states that all of these villages bore the brunt of the devastating 2018 floods. 'Land conversion here will impact paddy cultivation on 65 acres, disrupt natural water channels, and trigger serious ecological imbalance,' reads the report, undersigned by the Principal District Agriculture Officer, Pathanamthitta. Responding to the controversy, Revenue Minister K. Rajan too made it clear that no project involving paddy land will be allowed without the consent of the Agriculture department. 'Even if the Revenue department receives the application, the final word on whether such land can be touched lies with the Agriculture department,' he said.
