Amicus curiae visits Maradu demolition sites

ON a visit to locations in Maradu where four flat complexes were demolished in 2020, the Supreme Court-appointed amicus curiae on Monday asked the municipality to hand over a report with details of authorised buildings existing on the sites.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Kochi

The amicus curiae, Gaurav Agarwal, and his team visited the locations on the directive of the apex court to analyse the viability of reconstruction of apartment complexes at the same sites, following the request of flat owners.

Four high-rise buildings -- Holy Faith H2O, Alfa Serene, Jain Coral Cove and Golden Kayaloram -- were demolished on the order of the Supreme Court in January 2020, on finding that the apartments violated coastal regulation zone (CRZ-2) rules, which prohibit any construction within 200m of the high-tide line of waterbodies.

Later, it was brought to the notice of the SC that the sites that comprised the complexes fell under CRZ-3 norms and not CRZ-2, therefore reducing the restrictions from 200m to 50m.