THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Forest Minister K Raju has said the sand removed from Pamba- Triveni will not be taken to any place outside the forest area. The Forest department will later decide on where it should be deposited.

“According to the instruction of Disaster Management Authority, the sand can be removed from Pamba but it should be deposited within the forest area only. The sand will be shifted to Chakkupalam near KSRTC stand for the time being,” he said.

It was on Thursday that the district administration started procedures to remove the sand.

Earlier, the government’s move to cart off the sand to somewhere outside the forest area had kicked up a controversy.
The chief minister as well as the Industries minister had maintained that Forest department’s permission was not required to remove the sand.

But now, Pathanamthitta district administration has taken the initiative to remove the sand according to the instructions of the forest department.