Forest land may be made available for dam

KOCHI: The Forest Department in the state will consider the proposal to make forest land available for the construction of a new dam at Mullaperiyar, once the Empowered Panel on Mullaperiyar gives sanction to the project.A request from the Irrigation Department seeking availability of nearly 35 acres of land is currently being considered.“A serious proposal for forest land will be mooted only after an official sanction is accorded by the Empowered Panel or the Supreme Court.Then we will need land for larger construction purposes, including quarters and labour sheds. We may need to re-align the existing Vallakkadav Road and the road from the spillway,” officials with the Mullaperiyar cell said. A detailed proposal will be submitted to the state Forest Department after obtaining permission, they said.Roads through the forest land will be primarily meant for transporting construction materials and to shift the debris of demolition.However, it is pointed out that even after an official sanction is issued for the new dam, there will be major roadblocks for obtaining forest land for the purpose.Clearances have to be obtained from the Forest Department, state and national wildlife boards and finally from the Ministry of Environment and Forest.