The Kerala government, which assured the Supreme Court of implementing its directives in “letter and spirit”, has raised apprehension about the impact of demolition of Maradu apartments on environment and human life.
The State voiced its concerns in an affidavit filed by Chief Secretary Tom Jose in the court on Friday, the deadline for the demolition of Holy Faith H2O, Jain Housing, Alfa Serene, and Golden Kayaloram apartments that had been constructed in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines.
The government has taken steps to deal with the demolition with utmost care and concern. An expert opinion from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, has been received, he submitted. While stating that the demolition process would require appropriate technology and machinery for razing the structures and expeditious disposal of debris, the State submitted that there were “space constraints for the proper disposal of the waste/debris”.If the buildings are “demolished in one go without carrying out proper study and planning, it will result in larger ecological disaster seriously prejudicing the inhabitants and environment of even the nearby places”, he stated.
The State further submitted that “this is one of the first instances of demolition of buildings of this magnitude and nature. It is also a fact that the concerned department [sic] lacks experience and expertise in handling this situation in a very short time”, Mr. Jose submitted.
Placing the responsibility of implementing the court order on the Maradu municipality, Mr. Jose explained the steps taken by the government after the May 8 order for demolition. He also elaborated on the measures initiated by the secretary of the Maradu municipality, including serving of eviction notices and inviting of expression of interest from specialised agencies with expertise in controlled implosion.
Mr. Jose, who tendered his “unqualified apology” for any aspect of his conduct which the court might have construed not in accordance with its order, also requested to exempt him from personal appearance. He also assured the court to monitor the implementation of the court order.
