Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday said it would issue orders to demolish structures if they were built illegally on Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam.
The High Court heard the PILs of Jana Sena corporator Murthy Yadav, Visakhapatnam East MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna and Narsapur MP RK Raju. They filed the petitions separately.
When the government lawyers requested for two weeks to respond to the petitions, Jana Sena corporator’s lawyer Murthy said APTDC was going ahead with the constructions even as the case was in the court. The bench said that in such cases, the court would not hesitate to issue orders for demolition of the structures.
The APTDC after demolishing the old resort buildings, obtained permission from Union Environment Ministry (MOEF) to construct a new building. The MOEF gave permission for 9.88 acres. But according to the petition filed by Murthy Yadav, the APTDC started digging the mountain for more than the permitted 9.88 acres and dumped the debris in the ocean, violating the CRZ norms. The corporation also dug two bore wells to draw the groundwater for the construction work apart from cutting the trees.
Yadav said the APTDC applied for construction of a building in 69 acres though the CRZ permission was only for 9.88 acres. The GVMC charged an amount of Rs 19 crore but the APTDC got a GO to pay the amount in installments over five years.
“Without sanction of the plan, the APTDC started clearing of the hill, cutting the trees and construction of the buildings. Hence I filed the PIL on December 21, 2021,’’ Yadav told this correspondent
The High Court posted the case to September 22. Another case came up for hearing at National Green Tribunal, Chennai, on Monday but it was adjourned to October 11. The petitioners sought revisiting the CRZ permissions given to APTDC by the MOEF and CC.
