Various organisations, including farmer, political and religious bodies, are gearing up to intensify agitation against the draft notification of the Ministry of Environment and Forest for declaration of eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) around the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS), which shares its borders with many villages in the district.
An all-party action council formed in Sulthan Bathery has decided to stage a ‘rail roko’ protest at the Kozhikode railway station on April 10 against the draft notification.
Resolutions will be passed by the ward committees under the aegis of the councillors of Sulthan Bathery Municipality against the notification, and they will sent to the Prime Minister, organisers said in a release here.
Meanwhile, the pastoral council of the Syro Malabar Diocese of Mananthavady urged the government to repeal the draft notification. The move to declare the ESZ will adversely affect the lives of thousands of people living on the fringes of the sanctuary, besides impacting the development of major towns in the district, the council said.
