Illegal buildings must go, coastal authority tells Kerala High Court
The project proponents were well aware of the CRZ norms and they were proceeding with the constructions at their own risk.
Kochi: The Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority has submitted to the Kerala High Court that all the constructions carried out on the banks of the Chillavanoor backwaters violating the coastal regulation zone norms must be demolished.
The KCZMA in a report filed said that the CRZ authority had taken timely action and directed the authority concerned to proceed against the violators and to stop the unauthorised constructions. The project proponents were well aware of the CRZ norms and they were proceeding with the constructions at their own risk.
The report said that in a meeting held on March 26, 2012, the Kochi corporation and the secretary, Maradu municipality were instructed to issue stop memo to the violators. The officials were directed to furnish explanation for granting building permit a the meeting held in 2012. Since the officers of the local bodies have not complied with the directions, the KCZMA decided to direct the district collector to issue directives under the section 5 of the Environmental (Protection) Act. However, the collector had only forwarded the action taken report from the corporation and municipality, but no report was submitted on the action taken by the collector under the Environment Protection Act.