Demolition of flat complexes may be delayed for a month

KOCHI:  It seems the Maradu Municipality might have to wait for one more month to implement the Supreme Court order to demolish four flat complexes constructed violating CRZ norms as the court would hear the review petitions filed by the flat owners only after its summer break. In a move to save their apartments, the residents of Golden Kayaloram, Holy Faith, Alfa Serene and Jain Coral Cove have filed five separate pleas seeking a review of the order in the last three days. 

As per the order by a bench of Supreme Court Justices Arun Mishra and Navin Sinha, the local body should have demolished the flats by June 8. However, the residents hope the authorities will not take any action against them till the hearing of the review petition, which is likely to happen after the Apex Court’s summer vacation that ends on July 2. 

Karthika Maria, a resident of Holy Faith, said that they had taken all steps to get a favourable decision from the court. “We filed the review petition on Thursday. We also intimated the Municipality about the development and replied to their demolition notice. The demolition procedures must wait till the next court hearing,” she said. 

The review petition filed by the flat owners points out that Maradu area was incorrectly included in the CRZ III area as per the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).“The demolition order was passed based on a report by a three-member committee appointed by the court. The committee informed the court that Maradu area is located in CRZ-III. The committee did not notice that the area was categorised as CRZ-II as per CRZ 2011 notification, which was approved by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests,” says the review petition.

It states that the location of their flat was not coming under the CRZ area when the Municipality issued the building permit. “Maradu Municipality issued the building permit to construct a residential building in 2006. The project proposed on the side of the Thevara Canal was not covered by CRZ notification 1991,” it adds. 

Meanwhile, officials with the state government and Maradu Municipality said that the court order will be implemented after conducting a study. Maradu Municipality vice-chairman Boban Nedumparamban said, “An engineering wing of the Municipality is studying the environmental impact due to the demolition of the buildings. They might need some more time to complete it. The demolition plans will be drawn after receiving the report,” he said. 

Office of the Local Self-Government Minister A C Moideen said the IIT Madras team needs to visit the area before demolishing the buildings. “They have to visit the area to create a plan for the demolition. We don’t know when they would visit the area and when they could complete the study,” said an official with the Minister.