KERALA CRZ VIOLATORS’ LIST TO SC

With the Supreme Court directing Kerala chief secretary to submit a detailed list of constructions in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone and buildings coming up on encroached lands, the state government is under pressure to bring out the list within six weeks. The apex court on Monday issued directions in this regard to chief secretary Tom Jose. The court will hear the case on March 23, 2020. The directive came from the bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra on a contempt petition.

In January, following the directive of Supreme Court, four high-rise apartments were razed in Ernakulam through controlled implosion. The court’s directive came on a plea filed by film director and actor Major Ravi accusing the state government of not sharing the list of CRZ violators with the Supreme Court. The director owned a flat in one of the four high-rise apartment buildings in Kochi, which were demolished last month. Major Ravi, along with others, had lodged a strong protest against razing of the apartments. Ernakulum district has the highest number of violations at 24, followed by Thiruvananthapuram 14, Kannur 7, Kollam 6 and Kozhikode 4.