Mathrubhumi Arboretum

Arboretum on the Banks of River Periyar

The Hon’ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal no. 4941 of 2013 – Association for Environment Protection v. State of Kerala & Others directed to demolish a restaurant by name – Mazhavil Restaurant constructed on the banks of River Periyar by the District Tourism Promotion Council keeping in view the protection of the environment of the area and the river.  The Court observed that the subterfuge employed by the District Tourism Promotion Council and the Department of Tourism has certainly resulted in violation of the fundamental right to life guaranteed to the people of the area under Art. 21 of the Constitution. 

Following a contempt petition no. 189 of 2014, the Ernakulam District administration demolished the said Restaurant in compliance to the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court during March, 2014.

Since then, the said land on the flood-line of River Periyar is in a deserted condition with wild shrubs and a playground for anti-social elements after dusk.  This prompted us to approach the District Administration for setting up an Arboretum there.  The District Administration was pleased to permit us to undertake permissive cultivation of rare and endangered species of plants in the area by setting up anArboretum

The Arboretum project was launched on the occasion of World Environment Day -2015 by Justice Shri. Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan, Judge, High Court of Kerala on 4th June, 2015 on the Banks of River Periyar at Aluva. This is the first such project with public-private partnership in environment protection.  We are working very closely with the Ernakulam District Administration for making the Arboretum, into a reality.

The efforts of Mathrubhumi in setting up an Arboretum will not only enable protection of the environment of the area but will also uphold the directions of the Supreme Court in its true spirit.

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