Environmentalists call for NOTA

A group of environmentalists and nature lovers from Kerala has given a call for casting vote to NOTA as the main stream political parties are not giving importance to environmental issues.

The immediate provocation for the call is a decision to fell trees along about two acres of land at North Paravur in Ernakulam district for installing a 110 KV electricity line. It includes Santhivanam, a over 200 year old sacred grove.

Former head of the Kerala Disaster Management Centre K G Thara said that none of the political parties that ruled Kerala over these years had any concern for environment protection even after the devastating floods that the state witnessed. Hence the environmentalists were forced to give a call for NOTA. It is the last attempt to save the Santhivanam sacred groves, she said in the appeal that was signed by over 50 environmentalists.

Earlier Suresh Keezhattor who is leading an agitation against a national highway by-pass construction over paddy fields at Kannur in North Kerala had decided to contest polls with the agenda of raising environmental issues. But the former CPM local leader later withdrew saying that it might lead to politicisation of the stir against by-pass construction.