Theme park to face fresh salvo from greens, UDF

KANNUR: The Mangrove Theme Park set up by the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-controlled Pappinissery Eco-Tourism Society (PETS) on the mangrove-rich northern bank of the Valapattanam river here is set to draw fresh demands from environmental activists and the United Democratic Front (UDF) for its closure in the wake of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) finding that the park has violated the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.

While the MoEFs finding as well as direction that all activities in the theme park be stopped immediately is seen as a vindication of the allegation of local environmental groups and some parties of the UDF that the park has been developed in violation of the rules regulating activities in the ecologically fragile mangrove areas, the society officials has taken refuge on the excuse that they have not received any message or information from the MoEF.

�We will react and devise a strategy when we get official information from the MoEF, PETS vice-president A.V. Ajayakumar said at a press conference convened here on Thursday to announce the three-day �monsoon festival being organised by the society from July 16.

The theme park, set up by PETS, registered under the Societies Registration Act, was started with a plan to develop the park over a five-year period, he said adding that the societys objective was to protect and conserve mangroves in the area.