Palakkayam: Residents of Palakkayam have stepped up their demand to keep inhabited areas, farmlands and plantations in the village out of the proposed Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), with a joint grama sabha of four wards in Thachampara panchayat calling for their exclusion.

At the meeting held at St Mary’s Parish Hall, residents of Wards 7, 8, 9 and 10 adopted a resolution calling for the final ESA notification to exclude the settlements and agricultural areas here, which have been included in the ecologically sensitive zone under the Kasturirangan report.

The grama sabha noted that the Centre and the state government had repeatedly assured people that inhabited areas, farmlands and plantations would be kept outside the ecologically sensitive zone while implementing the Kasturirangan report. However, the continuing ambiguity over the issue has raised concerns over the livelihood of farmers and other residents of Palakkayam village.

The meeting also sought a geographical and settlement-based reorganisation of Palakkayam village, which stretches from Thengara Muzhukumpara to Kanjikkulam Vadakkante Kadu. It demanded that the inhabited and agricultural areas either be constituted as a separate village and completely excluded from the ESA or be reorganised and merged with the neighbouring villages of Pottassery, Thachampara, Karimba and Kalladikode to keep them outside the ecologically sensitive zone.

Thachampara panchayat president Mary Joseph presided over the meeting. Fr Binu Ponkattill, vicar of St Mary’s Church, Palakkayam, presented the resolution.

Panchayat vice-president K Seleena, ward members Unni Vengassery and Reji Kuttikkal, block panchayat member Betty Lawrence, district panchayat member Beena Thakarappallil, Kunjumon Paily, P Pushpalatha, Prakash Thomas and panchayat secretary Ajin V Raju spoke.