Joint Committee report on Pandavanpara hill, Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, 11/07/2023
Joint committee report submitted by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in Original Application No 333 of 2022 (S Unnikrishnan Vs State of Kerala). The matter related to measures to protect and maintain Pandavanpara.
The applicant had alleged that companies were using huge explosive material near the Pandavanpara adversely affecting the same and destroying its supportive rocks and that in case the same is continued, Pandavanpara will collapse.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), May 11, 2022 directed a Joint Committee to file a factual and action taken report on the matter. The committee comprised of the Archaeological Survey of India, SEIAA, State PCB and Collector, Thiruvananthapuram.
The joint committee visited the site, August 23, 2022. The Pandavanpara is a hillock consisting of tall granite boulders located in Neyyattinkara, Thiruvananthapuram district. The Department of Archaeology had taken initiatives to protect the 3.15 acres of land surrounding the place including the Pandavanpara.
A few rocks that were mined in the past were found at the site. The field inspection team could not find any evidence of environmental damages currently in the area. Moreover, the area is now monitored by the police and the entry of the public to the site is also restricted. No mining and blasting activities were found in the region.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board or SEIAA had not granted any clearance for mining projects in that location. The Committee observed that measures need to be taken to ensure the protection of Pandavanpara as the same is of great historic and archaeological significance. Necessary actions had been taken by the departments concerned to ensure protection of Pandavanpara and as per the site inspection report attached, there are no active mining projects currently in the location as alleged by the applicant in his petition, the joint committee report July 11, 2023 said.