No backtracking on order: Collector

KOZHIKODE: Wayanad district collector Keshvendra Kumar said that there would be no backtracking on the order issued by him imposing curbs on construction of high- rise buildings in the environmentally fragile hill district.
The order issued by the collector, in his capacity as chairman of district disaster management authority, had come in for criticism from many political parties who said that the decision was taken in a unilateral way.Chief minister Oommen Chandy had also said that the government does not agree with the restrictions.
Kumar told TOI on Thursday that he would apprise the chief minister about the situation in Wayanad which necessitated the decision.
"I had tried to contact the chief minister today to explain the situation. The order was made in the specific context of Wayanad district and in light of the threats posed by landslides and earthquakes due to construction of high-rise buildings in a high elevation landscape," he said.
Kumar said that discussions were held in the appropriate levels during the last four- five months.
However, the district collector said that a workshop will be organized in the third week of July to discuss the issue which would be attended by for people's representatives and political parties.
"We will try to remove the apprehensions raised by some sections. If they have any positive suggestions we can incorporate it," he said, however, adding that the overall concept and objectives of the order will remain unchanged.
As per the order, the height of buildings in municipality areas of the district has been restricted to 15 m (maximum of five floors) and those in panchayats to 10 m (three floors) while issuing new building permits. tnnThe height of buildings in the environmentally-sensitive Lakkidi area of Vythiri panchayat has been further restricted to eight metres (two floors).