Spider River: The South Zone Green Tribunal has ordered that the Kerala government should not carry out any construction work across the Spider River without obtaining permission from the Union Ministry of Environment.
In the name of the complaint that the Kerala government is building a dam across the Spider River in Idukki, the South Zone Green Tribunal has initiated an investigation. In this inquiry, an inquiry was held regarding the Kerala Government’s construction of a dam across the Spider River.
On behalf of the Kerala government in the South Zone Green Tribunal hearing, we (Kerala government) have not constructed any barrage across the Spider River. They said that they built it like a small water retention pond to meet the water needs of the local people. The Green Tribunal did not accept this and banned the Kerala government from carrying out construction work across the river Spider.
Further, the South Region Green Tribunal adjourned the hearing of this case to July 23, stating that any construction work across the water bodies such as dams, small ponds, etc., should be approved by the Union Ministry of Environment and the Forest Department.
Chief Minister M. K. Stalin and Tamil Nadu political leaders and farmers’ unions protested that if a dam is built across the river Spider, the water flow to the Amaravati river will be greatly reduced and thus the farmers of Tirupur, Karur and Dindigul districts will be greatly affected.
