PULLICHIRA EDAVAKA SAMRAKSHANA SAMITHY

Experts of Government find Construction is in “prohibited area”! January 6, 2010

The Chairman of Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority & The Ex-Officio Prl Secretary to Government, Science and Technology (A) Department, Government of Kerala has reported to the Chief Town Planner, Thiruvananthapuram vide his Letter No: 2247/A2/09/S&TD dated 21-12-2009, that the Constructions made at Pullichira by the Priest are at 55m from the High Tide Line of backwater, where constructions are prohibited as per CRZ Notification. The Site Inspection was made by Dr Kamalakshan Kokkal, Principal Scientific Officer and Dr P.Harinarayanan, Scientific Officer. The Report prepared by the Scientific Officers is published below:

CRZ Status of Land in which construction initiated by the Immaculate Consuption Church at Pullichira, Mayyanad Panchayat, Kollam

The Construction under reference made by the authorities of Immaculate Consuption Church at Pullichira is 55 mts away from the HTL of Paravur Kayal. The area is marked in Map No: 14 A of Kerala Coastal Zone Management Plan and it is CRZ III. The width of the Kayal in the area is more than 100 mts and hence CRZ will be 100 mts from HTL of the Kayal. This CRZ zone is also No Development Zone of CRZ III. Hence the construction made violates the provisions of CRZ Notification 1991.

The Authorities of the Church were present during the inspection and they have made following points:

1. The CRZ will be applicable only to the distance equivalent to the width of the canal in the area as it is less than 100 meters. Hence the proposed site will be outside of the CRZ.

2. The inland water body in the area were paddy fields till 1977 and were converted into prawn cultivable area.

3. Mining of clay was also done from the paddy fields. This has lead to the present situation where large area is under water.

The CRZ status of the area is clearly evident from verification of KCZMP and landuse plan of the area. In contrast to the arguments the map clearly shows that width of the water body is not limited to the width of the canal. The entire area is marked as water body and hence the CRZ will be 100m landward from HTL of the backwater. As the construction is made at a distance of 55 m from HTL within this zone it violates the provisions of CRZ Notification 1991.

Sd/    19-12-2009                                                                                                       Sd/- 19-12-2009

Dr P.Harinarayanan                                                                                                  Dr Kamalakshan Kokkal

Scientific Officer                                                                                                         Principal Scientific Officer