Kochi: The Idukki district administration is placing the issue of unauthoriused construction and polluting hotels and resorts in the hill station of Munnar in the Saturday’s meeting of the district development council (DDC) before proceeding against them even as the Devikulam revenue divisional officer has recommended strict action against law-breakers.
“We expect that the DDC, which has representation of all the line departments such as panchayat, health, revenue and tourism as well as representatives of the people, will discuss the issue with the importance it warrants,” district collector A. Kowsigan told DC. “We shall take a call on the action to be taken after the meeting. We want to proceed meeting all the legal requirements. ”
The meeting is being held in the wake of the Devikulam RDO recommending stern action against the polluting resorts and hotels in Munnar area. In a recent communication to the district collector, RDO Sabin Sameed pointed out that the five resorts which had been issued closure notice by the panchayat have not only closed their operations but taken no steps to put in place waste treatments plants.
It pointed put that the panchayat had not been able to implement the closure order of the resorts which had deposited waste including septage in the Muthirappuzha river owing to protest from political parties. Mr Sabin has recommended early imposition of the order and launching of criminal proceedings against the owners.
The RDO’s communication pointed out that Muthirappuzha river is being as the only source of drinking water by people in many panchayats and that examinations have found that the amount of coliform bacteria in the river water was 10 times the allowed limits. It sought a directive to the departments concerned to continue with the examination and take strict action based on them.
