After notices were issued to owners of illegal construction civic body in Thiruvananthapuram is taking step which resulted into beginning of demolition drive. The unauthorized constructions in area of Kovalam-Vizhinjam are likely to be demolished on Tuesday.
A notice was given to resort owner owing 33,000 sq ft, tourism resort 10 days before but no reply was received by corporation authorities and also no court order regarding staying the same was brought into knowledge of the authorities.
As per information from officials, they have not furnished any kind of documents regarding allotment of building number and also sufficient time was given to them for furnishing the same along with completion of other necessary processes prior to demolition.
Civic bodies has requested for police assistance and also informed Kerala water authority and KSEB to cut off water supply and power supply prior to process of demolition. All necessary machinery required for demolition was arranged accordingly.
In a meeting held on May 9, it was brought to knowledge by Kerala Coastal Management Authority (KCMA) that CRZ rules were applicable to unauthorized construction in Kovalam and no application for CRZ clearance has been filed by project proponents till date.
The CRZ notifications of 1991 and 2011 are applicable to all projects as stated in minutes of KCZMA meeting. Further adding the authority mentioned that opportunity has been given to project proponents for submission of CRZ clearance application before the misnitry of environment and forests and climate change for regularization of constructions in CRZ area up to June 30,2018 nut not application was filed in that regard.
KCZMA has been examining the judgments in cases of Piedade Filomena Gonslves vs. State of Goa & others, Anil Hoble vs. Kashinath Jairam Shetye & others which deal with petitions of unauthorized constructions in Kovalam. Also KCZMA will in near times communicate the facts to secretary of Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation and the standing counsel of KCZMA for appraising the facts before HC.
It was held in one of the case by SC that, “CRZ notifications had been issued in the interest of protecting environment and ecology on the coastal area and that constructions raised in violation of such regulations could not be allowed.”
Out of 166, 17 constructions has been issued provisional order by corporation those fell under city limits and will undergo the process if demolition in first phase. With respect to same, owners of those constructions has submitted legal documents stating the legality of their construction as they had taken permission of the officials of Vizhinjam Panchayat prior of demolition process.
But during the verification of those documents the owners were unable to prove that the construction was done before 1991 and thus has resulted into ruling out of all chances for the owners to file for regularization of their constructions.
Courtesy/By: Renu Kathale
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13 Jun 2019
