Drop sea runway plan: Archbishop

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC) president Archbishop M Soosa Pakiam has urged the state government to drop the proposal to construct a runway at sea parallel to Sanghumukham beach near Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
Referring to reports which said the government was actively considering a proposal by the Capital Region Development Project-II (CRDP-II) to construct a runway modelled on those in Japan and Hong Kong, the archbishop said the project, if implemented, would have a long-term impact on marine ecology and lives of the fishing community in the area.
“Just like what happened in case of the natural harbour at Vizhinjam, this is part of a larger conspiracy to gift Thiruvananthapuram airport, Sanghumukham beach and the sea to big corporates after evicting fishers from the area,” Soosapakiam told reporters here on Wednesday. KRLCC will initiate discussions on the issue and submit a memorandum to the government, he said.
The Latin Catholic community will be observing December 9 as ‘Community Day’, during which discussions will be held on the development of coastal belt under ‘Nava Kerala Nirmithi’.
Preserve purity of
Sabarimala: When asked on the Church’s stand on Sabarimala issue, Soosa Pakiam said the purity of the hill shrine, ‘which is beyond any religion or caste’, should be preserved, besides maintaining a peaceful atmosphere. “The issue shouldn’t be used for making political gains, and vested interests shouldn’t be allowed to destroy the peaceful atmosphere,” he added. tnn