Shallow backwaters gets filled with sand for illegal encroachments

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 May 2018, 11:23 GMT]
Powerful intermediaries with political and military backing are scheming creative ways of extending lands for illegal encroachment by filling portions of Periya-ka'lappu, the second largest backwaters in the island, with sand. The chairman of Thirukkoayil Hindu Federation N. Arulkanth has condemned the illegal extension of lands as destructive to the natural ecology of the backwaters. The sands brought to level up the backwater lands could be seen in front of the 241 Brigade camp of the SL military, located on Akkaraippattu - Poththuvil Road at Aalaiyadi-vempu.

Periya-ka'lappu backwaters extend over 25,000 acres of land area across three administrative divisions.

Around 4,000 families are dependent on freshwater fishing as their livelihood at Periya-ka'lappu.

Apart from the sand levelling and extension of the land for illegal encroachment, disputes ensue at a locality known as Chinna-mukaththuvaaram (the little opening of backwaters with the sea) with forged documents. The tendency is detrimental to the ethnic and social harmony, Mr Arulkanth said.

The Hindu Federation has also appealed to the SL Ministry of Environment to take immediate steps to protect the ecology and the backwaters from illegal encroachments, he said.