Idukki District Collector Sheeba George has imposed restrictions on construction activities in 13 panchayats in the Munnar region under the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Act. According to officials, the recent directive was based on an interim Kerala High Court order on construction in Munnar based on a case filed by One Earth One Life, an NGO.
The High Court has directed the DDMA to take steps to regulate the development activities in the “hazard zone” in consultation with the local bodies. The court has also directed it to refer to the India Standard (IS) code of practice for design, construction of Indian soils and general requirements issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) while addressing regulations on constructions.
“As per the interim order, the District Collector, as the DDMA chairman, called a meeting of the DDMA on July 27, and the secretaries of 13 panchayats were also called for the meeting and it was decided to implement the interim order directions,” said the order.
It stated that the panchayats in Idukki where the restrictions are applicable are Munnar, Vellathooval, Pallivasal, Devikulam, Chinnakkanal, Bisonvalley, Santhanpara, Udumbanchola, Mankulam, Marayur, Edamalakkudy, Kanthalloor and Vattavada.
The order states that “Munnar is an ecologically fragile area and is situated around 5,200 ft above the sea level. In the August 2018 floods, the area witnessed many landslips and mudslides which claimed several lives. Ecological balance must be maintained to ensure the protection of the area and save the lives and property of people.”
“The DDMA has also decided to regulate constructions in the red and orange zones which have been earmarked in the Disaster Management Plan of 2005. The landslip- and mudslide-prone areas will be included in the red and orange zones, and restrictions will apply to these 13 panchayats,” the order said.
“The panchayats issue building permits for only up to 150 sq m of single-floor buildings in the red zone areas and landslip-prone areas. Before granting permits in the red zone, the engineering wing of the local authorities also conduct inspections. Allow building permits for houses in red zones for only those who have no other houses and impose ban on quarrying in the red-zone panchayats. In orange zones, the engineering wing of the local body should ensure that there are no chances of landslips or mudslides before issuing permits. Permits are allowed only for buildings up to a maximum of three floors in the orange zone,” stated the order.
“Each local body in the district has a separate Disaster Management Plan. The High Court on July 4, 2023 stated that constructions in these areas should be controlled through the IS code. Each local body should verify their DDMA plan and IS code and collect details from people and peoples’ representatives on the implementation and submit these within a period of 30 days,” said the order.
Munnar panchayat secretary K.N. Sahajan said that a meeting would be held at the panchayat with the people’s representatives and local residents soon. “A detailed report will be submitted before the DDMA before the allotted time period,” he said.
