ALAPPUZHA: Pathiramanal island, the paradise of migratory birds in the Vembanad Lake, is on the verge of extinction. The 91 hectares island has shrunk to 60 hectares owing to illegal sand mining. In addition to this, waste materials,including plastic, dumped by tourists have been polluting the island. The island was bought by A C M Anthraper of Cherthala from the Bheemji Devaji Trust of Kochi in the 1960s. In 1979, the Land Reforms Act was implemented and the government took over the island from Anthraper terming it surplus land. Later, the government relocated 14 families in the island to mainland Kayippuram in Muhamma panchayat. Though the government had planned various programmes to beautify the island, nothing got materialised. In 1987, the then government proposed a `5-crore project to convert the island into an international tourist spot and the foundation stone laying ceremony was held at Kayippuram. But, the project went only that far. The previous LDF government also initiated some steps to convert the island. But, that too was abandoned later. The Tourism Department and the KITCO had formulated a project for the construction of pathways and toilet blocks in the island. But, the nature lovers approached High Court against the move and got it stayed. However, the court recently gave the nod to construct a pathway in the island without harming its ecology.Meanwhile, the previous government’s move to hand over the island to private parties on long lease invited protests from various quarters. The nature lovers said that the intention of the government was to sell the island to private parties. Thomas Kalappura, president of Green Society, an NGO, said that the move of the government agencies was to sell the eco park to private parties.
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