Green tribunal bans Coast Guard station near Kalpakkam

Chennai: The Southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has granted a permanent injunction restraining the authorities from constructing a Coast Guard station at Sadraskuppam, near the Kalpakkam atomic plant. The tribunal said the proposed construction flouted the environmental norms under the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) notification.
A Iyappan of Sadraskuppam said the villagers were all fishermen.The Revenue Development Officer (RDO) of Chengalpet, Kancheepuram district, and the tahsildar of Thirukazhukundram had sought the people's cooperation in constructing the station on May 2, 2015. After people protested, Iyappan and others made a detailed representation to the Kancheepuram collector seeking to stop construction as fishermen have for long used the area to dry nets and hold festivals.
Workers, however, went ahead with the construction on October 2, 2015 under the supervision of revenue authorities. The locals requested the authorities to stop the work as the CRZ notification, 2011 mandated prior permission of Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority for construction within 500 metres of the shore. As the construction work was not stopped, Iyappan moved the tribunal.
Counsel for Iyappan M Radhakrishnan said the proposed station was within 30 metres of the Saduranga Pattinam seashore.
The tribunal's second bench of judicial member P Jyothimani and expert member P S Rao said there was a "substantial question concerned with environment and ecology". As the proposed station was within the prohibited area any construction activity had to be restrained.