PURI: Alleging violation of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) norms, local environmentalists and social activists have raised objections to the seaward widening of the Marine drive road from Digabareni Chowk to Swargadwar.
The Public Works department has started the widening of road towards the sea and is constructing concrete structures by destroying natural sand dunes and beauty of the beach.
This has also reduced the beach area considerably, alleged president of Odisha beach protection council Jagannath Bastia.
In a letter, Bastia urged Secretary of Works department Dr Krishan Kumar to direct the local executive engineer to stop the widening work immediately and restore the beach to its natural form.
He also sought initiation of criminal case against persons responsible for carrying out the work as per Environment Protection Act, 1986 and recover the cost of restoration from them.
“The stretch of Puri coast from Sanskrit University to Mangalaghat comes under the CRZ II category where construction is permitted only on the landward side after approval of the competent authorities,” he said.