Unrest among residents, farmers over buffer zone satellite map of Kerala

A satellite survey report on the buildings in one kilometre buffer zone around the forests in Kerala has triggered unrest among a large section of people who might be affected.

The satellite survey had identified around 50,000 buildings, mostly residential, that would come in the one kilometre buffer zone around 23 protected forest areas - national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

A large section of people, mainly high range farmers, have alleged that there was lack of clarity in the satellite map and demanded that a revised draft report should be published after field visit by an expert committee appointed for the purpose.

It was on Tuesday that an expert committee headed by former high court chief justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan published the satellite survey report that was prepared by the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre last year. The committee also asked people to file any objections in ten days.

Residential buildings, commercial buildings, educational institutions and worship centres are among the 50,000 odd buildings that come in the buffer zone as per the satellite survey. The expert committee plans to conduct field visit on the basis of the complaints.

However, farmers and residents close to the forests flay that there was lack of clarity in the survey report as buildings could not be properly identified. Hence they insist on a revised draft report after conducting field visits so that the people could take up their grievances. Farmers organisations like the Kerala Independent Farmers Association had opened desks to help the affected people take up their grievances based on the satellite report.

Kerala Congress (M), which is a coalition partner of the ruling left front, had also expressed serious concerns over the satellite survey report.

With the issue snowballing into a major row and the Congress also announcing a stir on the matter, state forest minister A K Saseendran said that the expert committee would finalise the buffer zone report only after field visit. He also alleged that the Congress was trying to mislead the farmers over the issue with political motives.

The expert committee was constituted by the government last year after the Supreme Court order on earmarking the buffer zones came. The committee is entrusted with the task of identifying the buildings in the one kilometre buffer zone. Based on the findings the government will seek exemptions.

Meanwhile, in view of widespread complaints about the lack of clarity of the satellite survey reports, the expert committee was also learnt to be exploring the scope of using Google Maps for re-verification.