KALPETTA: The unbridled construction of high-rises in Wayanad district in the name of tourism would rob off nature’s charm if not rectified on a war-footing, said Mr Kesavendra Kumar, outgoing district collector of Wayanad. He was known for his pro-nature steps, including ban on high-rises and imposing restrictions on earth movers in the district.
Mr Kumar shared with DC his concerns on the ecology of Wayanad and said that there were thirty high-rises under construction in the ecologically fragile Lakkidy area where he had banned the construction of buildings with more than three floors. In his order, he had directed the owners of the buildings under construction also to stop the work. But after the ban, the construction groups approached the High Court and bagged an exemption for buildings for which permits were issued earlier.
“Now we have two examples on the threat posed by these high-rises--the collapse of a five-storied building one week before its inauguration just a few metres from the National Highway in Kalpetta and another on the by-pass,” he said. Wayanad has a unique ecology in the Western Ghats region which has been damaged much due to human interventions. However, Mr Kumar believes that if speedy remedial measures are taken, the damage could be reversed.
On the encroachment of Deccan plateau to Nilgiri biosphere, Mr Kumar said “there should be steps to ensure the green fence along the banks of river Kabani to check the spread of heat wave into the district. “We have launched some projects and I hope my successor would finish them,” he said. Mr Kesavendra Kumar will hand over the charge to Mr B.S. Tirumeni this week and take over as secretary in the department of social justice, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and Food Safety.
