Idukki District Collector Sheeba George has imposed restrictions on construction activities in 13 panchayats in the Munnar region under the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Act. According to officials, the recent directive was based on an interim Kerala High Court order on construction in Munnar based on a case filed by One Earth One Life, an NGO.
The High Court has directed the DDMA to take steps to regulate the development activities in the “hazard zone” in consultation with the local bodies. The court has also directed it to refer to the India Standard (IS) code of practice for design, construction of Indian soils and general requirements issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) while addressing regulations on constructions.
“As per the interim order, the District Collector, as the DDMA chairman, called a meeting of the DDMA on July 27, and the secretaries of 13 panchayats were also called for the meeting and it was decided to implement the interim order directions,” said the order.
