KOZHIKODE: The National Green Tribunal South Zone, Chennai, has stayed the illegal construction of the Markaz Knowledge City, a project of the AP Sunni faction headed by Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliar, on the 125 acres of land in Kodencheri village here.
It has also issued notices to Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliar and 16 respondents, including the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Chief Secretary, Principal Chief Forests (Wildlife) and the District Collector, Kozhikode, directing them to file their replies over a writ petition filed by Adv K Savad, an environmental activist from Vadakara, and posted the matter to March 9.
In the petition, Savad alleged that Kanthapuram Aboobacker Musliar, with the assistance of the state, had started the construction of Markaz Knowledge City on the ecologically fragile lands measuring 125 acres in Kodencheri without valid permit from the Union and state authorities and without conducting any Environment Impact Assessment studies through competent authorities. Hence, the constructions were violations of the Environment Protection Act 1986 and the EIA notification 2006 and 2013 issued by the Ministry of Forests and Environment.
He added that the construction being carried out by Kanthapuram in the name of four benamis, on 27.25 acres of land was the first stage of a sequence of the proposed construction of four million square feet on 125 acres of lands situated in the Western Ghats, categorised as a World Heritage site by the UNO.
“A considerable portion of the hills in the project area was demolished and the entire topography of the land was changed. If the illegal construction works are allowed to continue, that will annihilate the ecology of the Western Ghats and the community at large will be affected by the disastrous consequences on the environment.”
While admitting the writ petition on January 7, the NGT Bench, comprising Chairman Justice M Chockalingam and expert member Nagendran said, the tribunal was satisfied that a prima facie case was made out. The NGT was convinced that immediate intervention of the tribunal by way of issuing an interim order was needed.
Accordingly, the respondents were restrained from making any construction in respect of the projects mentioned in the petition, until further orders.The petitioner also alleged that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, and other top leaders who were bound to discharge their duties as per the Constitution by virtue of their oath of office had miserably violated it by attending the inaugural function of Knowledge City, held at Puthuppadi on June 30, for the commencement of those illegal constructions on the ecologically fragile lands.