it seems kerala cabinet has cleared (albeit secretively without giving any information/publicity) the pathrakkadavu hydel project very close to the silent valley national park, kerala.

the marginalised and always bullied forest department has quickly shot of its protests. kerala forest protection staff association is also registering its concern and protests.

silent valley national park is probably tens of millions of years old and one of few untouched areas in the western ghats and also crucial source of kunthipuzha river.

this project site at which salim ali - india's legend on bird's - launched the fight against the original dam (probably one of the initial dam struggles) which was a monster on its own.

hindu had a good editorial on this brutal project.

with the athirapally project facing strong protests in kerala, the government is embarking on another destructive and unwanted adventure in another mindless dam building spree.

as the hindu editorial correctly points out there are many ways to improve and sustain the power system of kerala. but with wrong policies, short sightness, the fake development bandwagon is sharpening the knives to destroy what is probably one of the pristine and crucial eco system in the entire world.

please stay tuned as this blog tracks this sudden and secretive development.