Land Use Controls in Kerala with Special Reference to Ecologically Fragile Areas

Land is a prime resource- it vests ultimately in the government-but the immediate ownership of vast areas are with the private individual- lower cost of agricultural produce and unscientific and uncontrolled developmental measures exerted great pressure on land- most of agricultural lands got converted to garden lands, laterites removed from other places collected for filling this area, sand, rock and many other land resources exhausted- water table decline, food security is effected-total ecology is tilted. wetlands, estuaries, river basins, command areas, paddy fields, coastal zones and finally the western Ghats (ecologically and environmentally fragile areas) are effected- societal revolt against all these menace can be seen-laws are many but not working and unenforceable-stage has reached that for sustenance of life effective land use controls necessary-question is how to achieve a better standard of management- the major question to be answered is how the sustainable development can be achieved through the land use legislations