Kollam: The illegal construction of a concrete structure jutting out by about 30 meters at the mouth of Kaappil estuary in Paravoor lake is in full swing after a pause. The tourism department’s construction that stands on pillars in the lake prima facie flouts the Coastal Regulation Zone norms of the Ministry of Environment.
DC had reported the matter on March 10 and former finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac had written a letter to Thiruvananthapuram district collector Biju Prabhakar to take action against the encroachment.
The CRZ authorities have put the blame on the delay in reconstituting the CRZ committee. “We had given a letter to the district collector and the panchayat authorities concerned demanding an immediate report on March 23.
On April 23 and 24, we reconstituted the coastal zone regulatory committee and appointed an expert to submit a report,” said a member secretary of CRZ. The report points out that prior permission was not taken for the work and that the construction over the existing platform structure was extended without approval. The report also referred to the encroachment at the site.
However, no action has been taken against the violators apart from a decision to send a notice. “The minutes of our meeting are being prepared which will take a little more time. Once the minister approves it, we will send a letter to them,” the official said.
Environmental activists have rejected the claims made by the CRZ official. Environmentalist Peter Pradeep has questioned the need for such a regulatory authority if it doesn’t function properly.
“I had taken up the issue with the CRZ authorities soon after they resumed the construction, but without results. The first excuse they said was that the CRZ was not constituted then and they also were worried about the impact of dismantling the structure. The natural sand movement and water flow has been hindered at the spot, which will affect the estuary,” he said.
