Keep fighting for preservation of Kottooli wetlands: Sandeep Pandey

Social activist and Ramon Magsaysay Award winner Sandeep Pandey has called upon the citizens of Kozhikode to keep fighting for the preservation of the Kottooli wetlands and extended his support for the cause whenever it is needed.

In an interactive session with environmental activists of the city under the aegis of the Green Movement at Sarovaram Biopark on Sunday (October 12, 2025), he wondered how anyone could mistake the area around the biopark for anything other than a wetland. “The buildings on the wetland would not have materialised without the authorities allowing it. This is an environmentally sensitive site. It needs to be protected,” he said, adding that the protection of wetlands is more the responsibility of local bodies than of the State or Central governments.

He pointed out that the issue of the wetlands is not limited to Kozhikode, but is a challenge faced across the world.  He invited the environmentally conscious people of Kozhikode to join a similar movement led by Sonam Wangchuk in Ladakh.

Earlier, Mr. Pandey visited various sites on the wetland that have been encroached upon and where large buildings have come up. He also visited spots where local people have been able to check encroachments and take legal action. Later, several activists highlighted the extent of wetland encroachment and suggested methods that could be more effective in preventing further destruction. The meeting was presided over by T.V. Rajan, general secretary of the Green Movement.