An ecotourism project promoted by Ras Al Khaimah’s investment arm Rakeen in Kerala is in trouble with environmentalists and a section of politicians opposing the plan.
The 420-acre Kumarakom Ecotourism Village was part of the $5bn (Rs325bn) investment plan its Indian joint-venture Rakindo announced eight years back.
The opponents, including president of the state’s Congress Party, say the project does not have statutory clearances and it would destruct the ecosystem, including a vast extent of uncultivated paddy fields.
Another project, the Rs10bn Kochi Health City spread across 47 acres promoted by non-resident Indians, is also facing the wrath of environmentalists.
Kumarakom is a globally recognised responsible tourism destination, and Rakindo was planning to create a host of facilities for visitors there, including farm tourism, limiting construction activities to 15% of the land.
Trouble started following reports that the state’s revenue department had last week granted permission to “reclaim the 420-acre paddy field.”
The government hopes the project would bring in huge investments and create a large number of jobs in the state, which heavily depends on remittances from overseas workers.
“The company got in-principle clearance from the previous government (to go ahead with the project in 2009),” Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said.
“I’ll look into the issue and do whatever necessary (to prevent farmland reclamation).”
However, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which leads the opposition alleged “corruption to the tune of millions of rupees” and vowed to scrap the project if it comes back to power after the May 16 elections.
“We’ll not allow this,” said CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who had aggressively promoted the Kumarakom ecotourism destination as the state’s tourism minister during 2006-2011.
Meanwhile, Chandy who is in the midst of a campaign projecting himself as a man of development and job creation and welfare, has been jolted by Congress leaders who have joined the dump-the-project campaigners.
The issue is now in the Kerala High Court.
The state hopes the project to bring in an investment of Rs22bn and create jobs for thousands of villagers, besides a better visibility for the Kumarakom responsible tourism brand globally.
The controversial land covers backwaters, lagoons, canals and mangroves creating a perfect setting for an international holiday destination for families which the company compares with Mexico’s Acapulco.