NISH denied nod to convert wetland for development

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has rejected the application filed by National Institute of Speech and Hearing (NISH) for conversion of wetland for development of its campus. The application was submitted as part of elevating NISH to the status of central university and to develop basic facilities in the land adjoining the present campus.
In the application, NISH cited that the land was marked as paddyland in basic tax register and that it was levelled for various needs by private parties and state government earlier too. It was also pointed out that paddy cultivation here came to a halt due to urbanisation.

The application was rejected based on a report filed by a state-level committee, which found that the area belonged to wetland category. Unauthorised conversion of wetland had severely affected water reserves, the noted.

The committee, quoting section 11 of Conservation of Paddy land and Wetland Act, said wetland should not be levelled or converted for any reason and any construction would be illegal. Conversion of wetland had resulted in recurrent flood and drought in the area, the committee pointed out.

Development of phase 3 of Technopark was one among the three projects which were recently exempted from wetland and paddy rules by state government in February 2018. The cabinet exempted the project via an amendment made in section 10 of Kerala Paddy land And Wetland Conservation Act 2008, which enables to grant exemption if conversion or reclamation is necessary for any public purpose. The project is planned on over 21 acres, including wetland, at Attipra village.

NISH had sought conversion of 4 acres and 95 cents. The institute had earlier levelled the land for construction purpose near the area marked as wetland, it was mentioned in the application.