Union Ministry Orders Halt To Illegal Constructions In CRZ Area Of Odisha’s Puri

Bhubaneswar: With several illegal structures coming up along the coastline in Odisha, the Centre has directed the authorities concerned in the state to halt all ongoing unauthorised constructions in the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) area in Puri.

The Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) Ministry in a letter has asked the Odisha Coastal Zone Management Authority (OCZMA) to stop such constructions in Puri’s CRZ area. The ministry has asked the OCZMA to ensure enforcement and monitoring of CRZ regulations.

Notably, President of Beach Protection Council of Odisha, Jagannath Bastia, had on January 29 filed a complaint with the ministry stating that around 35 unauthorised multi-storey hotels and commercial buildings were being constructed in the CRZ area of the Puri beach, in violation of the CRZ norms.

Bastia had alleged that though the state authorities concerned were informed about it, they did precious little to stop these illegal constructions and initiate legal proceedings against the violators.

He alleged the empowered regulatory bodies, Puri Konark Development Authority (PKDA) and Puri municipality, have been silent on the issue. This silence has encouraged violators to go for construction in the prohibited areas of the coastline, he said.

“These promoters did not obtain mandatory permission from the CRZ body and do not have approved building plans. For any construction within the CRZ limits, it is mandatory to obtain permission from the CRZ body. These illegal constructions in the area have caused irreparable damage to the ecology of this pristine beach,” Bastia had stated in his complaint.

P Raghban, senior scientist (CRZ) of the MoEFCC, was quoted by the New Indian Express as saying that the Ministry had delegated powers to the state coastal zone management authority to take necessary legal actions against the violators.

The OCZMA has been asked to take action against the violators and stop illegal constructions, besides send an action taken report (ATR) to the Union ministry in this connection.

Meanwhile, local authorities in Puri on Wednesday cracked down on a wedding ceremony, scheduled to take place on the beach without authorisation. The attention of Puri Municipality was drawn after a viral video showed a lavish wedding set-up on the shore, which lacked the necessary permissions from the local government.

Such permissions are generally reserved for government or community events, with private occasions like weddings, religious rituals or birthday parties generally not eligible for approval.