KOCHI: With the Kochi Corporation receiving a jolt in the cycle track project across Chilavannur lake after the Collector issued a stop memo citing CRZ clearance, the civic body is planning to approach the state government as a face-saving move.
As per the new plan, the Corporation would approach the state government to sort out the mess that they have faced with the District Collector issuing a stop memo for the project worth Rs 9.3-crore floated by the Kochi Corporation as part of the Amrut scheme.
“It was the state level technical committee and state level high power committee that approved the project. Since the project is an elevated one, there is no need for CRZ approval. Even the experts were not asked for the same and that may be due to this. We will approach the government citing this. The bund constructed was only temporary and it will be demolished. Some political parties are unleashing baseless allegation,” said Mayor Soumini Jain when asked about the further plan to re-start the project.
However, the Mayor said the process to get the clearance from the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) has already been completed. “The National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram has been assigned the task of preparing the status report. The structural plan and other details have already submitted with the KCZMA for clearance. Even we have approached the Irrigation Department for the clearance to avoid any further issues. The Collector issued the stop memo only because of lack of clearance certificate from the KCZMA. Whenever we get the clearance he will lift it,” the Mayor added.
The political parties such as the BDJS and the AAP were against the project. According to them its a clear case of coastal zone violation from the Corporation.