Even as reports that the Supreme Court has given an ultimatum to the state government to demolish the illegal construction at Aluva near Periyar river, Mazhavil Restaurant and the building constructed by District Tourism Promotion Council(DTPC) fly thick and fast, the district administration is apparently unaware of any such development.
The District administration maintains that it did not receive any official communication. “We are yet to receive any official communication in this regard,”, District C Collector M G Rajamanickam told ‘Express’.
The Aluva Municipality had reclaimed a part of the Periyar in 2005 and the DTPC decided to construct a restaurant. The state government sanctioned `55.72 lakh to build the restaurant and to beautify the park at the Manappuram.
However, the Supreme Court in July 2013, taking cognizance of a petition filed by the Association for Environment Protection, Aluva, had ordered the demolition of the restaurant within three months . DTPC and the Tourism Department, “in the light of the parameters required to be kept in view for protection of environment of the area and the river, conveniently avoided the scrutiny of the project,” the court had observed in the order.