Coastal regulation zone norms being violated in Kerala - reveals RTI
15 Mar, 2013The reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) has revealed that the municipal corporation of Kochi issued the building permits for high rise buildings on the banks of the Chilavannur Lake without seeking the coastal regulation zone clearance for them.
The reply provided by the Assistant Executive Engineer, Town Planning section of the Corporation said that the corporation was yet to submit to the Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA) the details of building permits issued for buildings on the banks of Chilavannur Lake, a part of the Vembanad Lake, which is listed as a Ramsar site.
Though the CRZ notification, 1991 explicitly declared 100 metres from the high-tide line (HTL) as no-development zone (NDZ) in backwater islands, the Corporation issued building permit to high-rise buildings located even within 20 metres of HTL. Even though the CRZ notifications, 2011 reduced NDZ to 50 metres, it barred new constructions in the region except for dwellings of fishermen.
The corporation had also ignored the directives from the Department of Local Self Government which ensured that the CRZ norms are not violated while issuing building permits especially in ecologically-sensitive regions.