The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), which conceived and executed the conversion of Panampilly Nagar into a prime residential area having 18 parks, open spaces, service roads and a green belt, is peeved at the sprawling locale becoming a haven for eateries, boutiques and other commercial establishments.
The Panampilly Nagar Welfare Association (PNWA) too has sought an end to houses being demolished to make way for multi-storeyed business establishments, since roads are getting choked with parked vehicles and garbage heaps from over 500 non-residential units. Sound pollution is another issue. The High Court of Kerala had recently appointed an advocate commissioner to conduct a reality check and submit a report.
“The agreement between the GCDA and the residents was that no residential building can be converted into a commercial one, neither can it be rented out for commercial use,” said a land owner who built a house here in 1978.Building permits
GCDA chairman N. Venugopal has expressed concern at the Kochi Corporation extending building permits and licences to commercial establishments without probing whether they had parking spaces and garbage treatment facilities. “The planned residential area was under our control till 1995. Subsequently, the Corporation took over after the responsibility of town planning was vested with local bodies. The GCDA had constructed a shopping complex near the northern end of Panampilly Nagar and a few shops near the Regional Passport Office for the shopping needs of residents.”
“The proliferation of shops has left the GCDA helpless as vehicles and goods carriers are parked on the green belt and side roads that the agency maintains,” he said.
“Most spaces that were converted to commercial ventures earlier had space only to park up to four cars. The Corporation must insist on shops providing parking space on their premises and also on facility for waste treatment,” said PNWA president George P. Korah.
“We had issued a list of do’s and don’ts to shops following widespread complaints from residents. Leave alone abide by them, many shops are unwilling to even provide funds for clean-up drives initiated by the association. The police too have failed to act,” Mr. Korah said.
Spot fines
A senior Corporation official said rule violations involving parking space had come to his notice. “Health inspectors have been asked to impose ‘spot fines’ on eateries and other shops that do not have garbage-treatment units. We are awaiting orders from the High Court for setting things right,” he said.
