Uphill task awaits authorities on Nediyathuruthu island

Supreme Court orders demolition of illegally constructed cottages

A humongous task awaits the State government on Nediyathuruthu island in Vembanad Lake where it will have to pull down the illegally constructed cottages of Kapico Kerala Resorts Private Limited as ordered by the court.

A Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment Report on the demolition of the resort, prepared by Environmental Engineers and Consultants Ltd., New Delhi, earlier for the Directorate of Environment and Climate Change, Kerala, had flagged the the possibility of the hazardous materials, including lead and asbestos, reaching the waters during demolition.

The 54 cottages were built over a period of seven years from 2006.

The Hindu had extensively reported on the violations of Coastal Regulation Zone rules in the construction of the resort and the legal battle fought in various courts and other agencies, including the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority.

According to the rapid study, the ecology of the lake could be seriously affected if vessels carrying the hazardous and toxic waste capsize. During the demolition of the nearly 2,500 RCC (rubble-cement-concrete) subsurface piles, other sub-surface structures, and retaining walls, the lake waters will surge from all sides and it may hit the island hard, it said.

Hazardous waste

The possibility of inert and hazardous waste falling into the lake during the demolition and transportation was a major challenge.

The demolition of subsurface structures would involve major environmental and ecological aspects, especially regarding the restoration of the island’s soil and the protection of the environment/ecology of the lake.

The air quality of the region could be hit by the emission of fugitive dust.

The turbidity level of the lake waters would increase exponentially if the demolition debris and other sediments reached the lake, it was warned.

The report has cautioned against demolishing the superstructure alone and abandoning the subsurface structures as the land would get submerged over a period, exposing the RCC pillars and other subsurface structures.

The submerged RCC pillars, which is part of the National Waterways, can cause major water transport accidents, it said.