Poor vigil opens door to CRZ violations

June 07, 2013 11:46 am | Updated November 16, 2021 08:45 pm IST - KOZHIKODE:

The vigil of the city Corporation authorities and the Revenue Department in guarding the coasts from unauthorised construction is proving to be on a low as per the latest findings of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA).

A KCZMA report states that a residential complex now under construction near West Hill in Puthiyangadi village is yet to get Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance though its builders have succeeded in winning a timely approval from the Corporation.

This is the second time that the KCZMA informs the corporation authorities of the unauthorised construction activities taking place on the beach side of Kozhikode and asks their intervention to stop them. The report reveals that the builder of the residential complex frequently fails to furnish the mandatory information before the KCZMA panel for obtaining a CRZ clearance, ultimately making him ineligible for the same.

Based on the findings, the KCZMA has also asked the Corporation secretary to initiate appropriate legal action against all those involved in the illegal construction under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. As per the order, the secretary is also bound to stop the continuing construction works in the coastal area.

The KCZMA openly slams the argument of the builder that he was not aware of the requirement of CRZ clearance for flat construction on the seaside. In an affidavit earlier submitted to the Kerala High Court, the builder’s representative had claimed that he had obtained all the required environmental clearances for the project. They were compelled to take the stance as a local action council approached the court in 2009 for stopping the construction work.

Last year, a separate panel appointed by the KCZMA too had reported the “unauthorised construction” of the flat in the CRZ area. As per the preliminary report, sanction was accorded for the construction in CRZ II area, marked in Map Number 55 of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Plan. The builder was securing permission from the Corporation in November 2008 to occupy an area of 30.43 cents.

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