Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri on Friday demanded that the Tamil Nadu government not take any steps to reduce the limits of the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary.
“No industry that will cause environmental damage to the sanctuary should be allowed in its vicinity. There are efforts to reduce the core zone of the sanctuary and allow private industries to set up units in the proposed eco-sensitive zone. The Forest Department is supporting this initiative,” he alleged. Charging that the government has given permission for industries to set up units inside the 5 km radius of the sanctuary, he demanded an immediate inquiry against officials who gave the permission.
Meanwhile, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss wrote to State Forest Secretary Sandeep Saxena asking him not to grant permission to the expansion plan of a pharmaceutical company functioning within the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary limits. The factory was set up prior to 1998 when the sanctuary was notified, he said, urging the government not to permit any expansion plan.
