As per the Supreme Court order on February 11, the Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority, with the help of Koppal and Ballari district administrations, demolished 19 illegal resorts at Virupapur Gaddi near Hampi on Tuesday.
The earthmovers, under security cover provided by the Koppal and Ballari police force, began to raze the structures around 6 a.m. in the presence of top officials from both the districts, including P. Sunil Kumar and S.S. Nakul, Deputy Commissioners of Koppal and Ballari, respectively. Prohibitory orders were imposed under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and heavy police forces were deployed to avoid any untoward incident during the eviction drive.
Three resorts whose petitions were pending in the High Court and Supreme Court were not demolished as the authorities chose to wait for the final orders from the courts. Similarly, the residential structures were also spared for a day.
Some women who owned the illegal resorts were found crying before the Deputy Commissioners as their business establishments were razed to the ground.
“There was no resistance or disturbance from owners of the resorts as they were prepared after the apex court order to demolish them. We have demolished 19 resorts. The operation is still on. We have not touched any residential structure today. But, we have given the residents a day’s time to collect their belongings and vacate the islet. We will begin the demolition of residential structures on Wednesday or a day after once the clearance of business establishments is over,” Mr. Sunil Kumar told The Hindu.
“The government had initiated the process of clearing illegal structures in the islet in 2011, but the resort owners moved courts and continued their legal battles in the High Court and Supreme Court. The apex court issued a final order on February 11 dismissing the resort owners’ appeals against the Karnataka High Court’s judgment of April 27, 2015, which held the structures in question in the islet illegal and ordered for their demolition. As per the Supreme Court order, we have undertaken the demolition drive,” Mr. Sunil Kumar said.
Upholding the High Court order, the top court had concluded that “these constructions were in violation of Section 20(1) of the Mysore Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1961” and “no development is permissible there even as per the Master Plan 2021 prepared under the Hampi Act.”
Virupapur Gaddi, an islet formed by River Tungabhadra near Hampi, falls in Gangavati taluk of Koppal district and was the most preferred destination of recreation activities for tourists visiting Hampi.