Activists are sounding alarms over sewage treatment plant (STP) construction near Sarovaram Bio Park. They say it threatens local mangroves and wetlands. Pouravakasha Samrakshana Samithi from Kozhikode has filed complaints with several government bodies, demanding immediate stop and thorough Environmental Impact Assessment.
Activists presented evidence like remnants of Avicennia officinalis, known locally as Uppootha,and stagnant brackish water at site. They claim machinery,especially JCB,was used to uproot trees and vegetation, then area filled with soil. This destruction,they argue,affects several rare plant species.
Mr . Parannur pointed out that mangrove ecosystems are listed as Ecologically Sensitive Areas under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of 2011 . Construction, including STPs and land reclamation,is banned in CRZ-I zones. Allegations also cover violations of Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act, 2008,Environment (Protection) Act,1986,and directives from National Green Tribunal.
A key claim involves an official from Kerala Water Authority (KWA), who allegedly certified the site as non-wetland,allowing STP's progress. Complaints sent to Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA),Forest Department,and Kozhikode Municipal Corporation.
Activists want joint site inspection by KCZMA and Forest Department, with prior notice so they can join. They're also asking for temporary halt to all construction until CRZ status is clear. They seek legal action against those allegedly responsible for environmental damage and demand restoration of wetland and mangroves at KWA's expense.
Photographic and video evidence supports their claims. In May 2026,a meeting led by then District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh told Kozhikode Corporation to speed up Sarovaram STP procedures,which already had construction approval. But what happens next...?
