The Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu community reserve came into being in October 2007
Six years after it was constituted, the Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu community reserve, a long stretch of land
in the Kadalundi river estuary area with a sizeable number of inhabitants, is yet to see solid development.
It was in October 2007 that around 150 hectares of land spread across Kadalundi and Vallikkunnu panchayats was declared a community reserve by the then Forest Minister Benoy Viswom.
A management committee comprising members from both the panchayats and officers from the Forest Department for technical support was formed for the management of the reserve with public participation.
Though a draft management plan was prepared by the committee for submission to the government, the project ran into rough weather after people from the region coming out against the move, voicing various concerns.
Change in government
In the meanwhile, the government changed hands from the Left Democratic Front to the United Democratic Front, and the committee was reconstituted with a new chairman. A modified action plan was chalked out by the committee and submitted to the government, but it failed to comply with the guidelines of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The plan was again revised in compliance with the WII guidelines by a technical committee and handed over to the management committee for changes after discussions with the people and other stakeholders. By then, five years had gone by. In the meanwhile, the new committee chaired by T.P. Vijayan decided to introduce two more features, a Coir Park and a Fisheries Village, in the Rs.15-crore draft plan to make it more participatory and people-friendly.
But, for these features to be included in the draft plan, the technical committee’s nod is mandatory. “We will be able to submit the report to the government through the Forest Department only after consultation with the technical committee, the members of which are yet to be decided,” Mr. Vijayan said.
Hurdles galore
Even after it is submitted to the government, the action plan, which includes a boundary wall, approach road, public comfort stations, and other facilities for eco-tourists and ensuring the conservation of the area and its biodiversity, has many other hurdles to overcome, including final sanction from the Union government.
Concerns have been raised by different quarters that the action plan has not been properly discussed with the people and other stakeholders. “The Malayalam version of the proposed plan is yet to be made available to the residents even after several years,” a Kadalundi resident said. Anil Marath, member of the management committee, shares the view. “No such conservation projects will succeed if proper measures are not taken to ensure the participation of stakeholders,” he said.
The Hindu Nov 20, 2013
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