The Forest department has spent ₹3.31 crore on various eco-restoration projects in Idukki over the past decade, according to a Right to Information Act (RTI) document.
The department has spent over ₹9 crore to prevent man-animal conflicts in the district since 2016. The initiatives were unsuccessful, and most of the money had been spent without proper study, shows the RTI reply secured by Idukki District Congress Committee (DCC) general secretary Bijo Mani.
“The Forest department spends crores of rupees every year on paddy maintenance, trek paths, bush clearance, fire line clearing works and so on. Money has also been spent on eco-restoration projects for renovation of ponds and water and soil conservation. The repeated human-wild animal conflicts show that the eco-restoration projects had been implemented without proper study,” said Mr. Mani.
