HC imposes cost on Corporation, CMDA for inaction on illegal buildings off ECR

Coming down heavily on TN authorities for allowing construction of palatial bungalows in gross violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) along the East Coast Road (ECR), the Madras High Court, besides imposing a cost of Rs 25,000 each on the Commissioner, Greater Chennai Corporation as well as member secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), directed the appearance of secretaries of Municipal Administration, Housing Development and Commissioner, GCC, on December 17.

Infuriated over the inaction against unauthorised construction on ECR, a division bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice N Seshasayee in its interim order on Thursday said, “Despite several court directions, authorities, instead of acting against unauthorised buildings, have provided electricity connection and water supply to them.”

Also, noting that one of the building owners had built a wall to barricade the building from sea water, the bench directed authorities to remove the illegal barricade immediately along with snapping the power connection and water supply. The bench also directed authorities to obtain an undertaking from the building owner that another barricade would not be constructed hereafter. Further, on slamming the authorities for using government advocates to constantly obtain adjournments as and when the plea comes up for hearing, the bench led by Justice Sathyanarayanan said, “It is unfortunate that higher government officials are ignoring their duty and responsibilities and are

hand-in-glove with such violators.” As per the batch of cases relating to unauthorised construction at Olive beach near Muttukadu, the pleas also deal with 138 buildings, including that of Kamal Hassan and Ramya Krishnan built along Bay of Bengal in violation of CRZ regulations. The bench in it earlier order on the issue had come down heavily on the authorities for not bothering to vacate the interim orders offered in such unauthorised constructions since 2013.

“It is sad to note that despite the subsistence of interim orders from 2013 and 2014 respectively, the official respondents have not even taken steps to vacate the interim orders. This prima facie appears that the officials are in connivance with the persons concerned, who had allegedly put up unauthorised illegal structures right along the Bay of Bengal in utter violation and disregard of CRZ Notifications issued in 1991 and 2011.”