The repercussions of the Supreme Court order to demolish four apartment buildings in Maradu municipality of Ernakulam district, are being felt on hundreds of other illegal constructions situated along the backwaters of Kerala. About 625 constructions along Vembanad Lake in three districts – Ernakulam, Alappuzha and Kottayam – have been served notice to be demolished, the state government stated in a report submitted to the Kerala High Court.
The properties which are in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms are mostly residential in nature. The statement filed by the Local Self Government Department (LSGD) states among this, that the maximum number of violations have been found along the Vembanad Lake stretch of Ernakulam district. There are 383 such buildings in Ernakulam and only five of these are non-residential constructions, says a report of The Times of India.
In Alappuzha district, notice has been issued to 212 buildings violating CRZ rules. Among these, only two are non-residential buildings. Meanwhile, demolition notice has been issued by local bodies to 30 buildings in Kottayam district.
The Supreme Court, in one of its hearings regarding demolition of four apartment buildings in Maradu municipality of Ernakulam district, had in a direction to Chief Secretary of the state, asked about the rest of the buildings in the state built violating CRZ norms.
As per the TOI report, the report was submitted to court by the state government in response to a questionnaire sent by amicus curiae in tune with actions to be taken to prevent environmental degradation of Vembanad Lake.
Action has also been initiated by the state government against eight officials of local bodies of the three districts, for violating CRZ norms. According to the report, vigilance case has been registered against five officials of Cheranallor gram panchayat in Ernakulam district, one official of Thuravoor gram panchayat and against two officials of Panavally gram panchayat in Alappuzha district.
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