More coastal local bodies in the district are demanding relaxation in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines as the regulations are affecting the construction of houses and buildings in the islands.
Housing projects hit
Administrators of some local bodies, including Kadamakudi village panchayat complained that the delay in reconstituting the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) has hit housing projects for the economically backward sections of the society.
A delegation from the Kadamakudi village panchayat met the officials of the Authority last week and demanded steps for the early clearance for the housing projects, said K.V. Williams, vice-president of the panchayat.
A few housing projects namely the Indira Awaz Yojana and the one for the Scheduled Caste members had to be cleared before the end of the fiscal.
A few houses were also to be completed for the beneficiaries of the Basic Services to the Urban Poor of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Around 50 such houses could not be completed for want of CRZ clearance from the Authority.
The panchayat is forced to look out for new beneficiaries so as not to lapse its funds, pointed out Mr. Williams. The panchayat had also demanded CRZ exemption for houses up to 1,000 sq.ft.
V.S. Ansar, president of the Mulavukad panchayat, said that there would not be much land left in the island panchayat after leaving the No Development Zone prescribed by the CRZ guidelines. The width of the panchayat in some areas is even less than 100 metres, he said.
Incidentally, Cheranalloor and Varapuzha panchayats had decided to approach the KCZMA to reassess the salinity in the rivers that flows through its boundaries for seeking CRZ relaxation.
