A five-member expert team from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, began field research into the environmental impacts of demolition of the four apartment complexes in Maradu, Kochi.
The experts, who visited the apartment complex of H2O Holy Faith which was one among the four structures to be demolished, sought basic information on the Coastal Regulation Zone classification of the Maradu area, soil details and sewage treatment facilities at the apartments. Information on the land use pattern in the area and related details were also sought.
It was following the Supreme Court order to pull down the flats, which came up in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines, that the State Environment Department approached the Chennai IIT for carrying out the impact assessment study. Though the immediate task of the visiting team is to prepare the report with the Maradu buildings in mind, the State may seek to develop a computer simulated model for such demolition, which could be used in other locations, sources said.
The team was asked to prepare a report on the environmental aspects of demolition, the manner in which it has to be brought down and general guidelines for such action.
The day’s visit was for generating a baseline data on the task at hand.
The terms of reference for the work and other legal formalities will have to be finalised between the State government and the Institute, sources said. The team consisted of Devdas Menon, Professor, Structural Engineering Division; Indumathi M. Nambi, Associate Professor, Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division; Sivakumar Palaniappan, Assistant Professor, Building Technology and Construction Management Division; Subhadeep Banerjee, Associate Professor, Geotechnical Engineering Division; and Thanasekharan.
The team leader, Ravindra Gettu, Professor, Building Technology and Construction Management Division, was not there in the team which visited Kochi on Wednesday.
Besides officials of the Maradu municipality, P. Harinarayanan, Principal Scientist, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, and V.D. Prasannakumar, Joint Secretary, Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority, accompanied the expert team.
Incidentally, a section of the residents of the apartments and builders have separately moved the apex court following the order. While the builders chose to file a review petition against the impugned order, residents moved the Supreme Court stating that they were not provided a hearing by the sub-committee appointed by the apex court.
A vacation bench of the court, which considered the petitions, transferred them to the bench which issued the order to consider them when it resumes work after the summer vacation.
The bench is expected to consider the case during the third week of July.
