Buffer zone: number of complaints doubled

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the time period fixed by the government for receiving complaints from the public regarding the eco sensitive zone (buffer zone) has expired, the expert committee will hold a meeting today and evaluate the further actions.

65,501 complaints were received till Saturday. Out of this, 29,900 complaints were resolved. No time limit has been fixed for the verification and disposal of other complaints. Many of the complaints received were found to be unnecessary. Out of 4309 complaints received from Chakkittapara Panchayat of Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, 1378 were dropped as they were outside one km. The forest department officials said that the field inspection is taking longer due to deliberate increase in complaints. This causes a delay in including the entire constructions in the buffer zone map.

Out of the complaints received till yesterday, 34,854 have been verified and geo-tagging has been done and the information has been added to the map. Since the map does not specify the number of buildings, it has been decided to do geo-tagging in all the buildings within a kilometre radius of Mangalavanam.

Forest minister AK Saseendran said that it is not possible to extend the time to raise complaints in the buffer zone issue. It is doubted that whether there is a deliberate attempt to increase the number of complaints. He added that the state is trying to include as a party in the central government’s plea in the buffer zone issue.