88 structures on Panniyar path razed

Idukki: Idukki district administration on Thursday demolished 88 illegal structures, including commercial establishments and houses, constructed by encroaching on govt land and obstructing the flow of Panniyar River at Pooppara town of Udumbanchola taluk. As many as 56 individuals had encroached on river puramboke and roadside land to initially construct temporary structures, which were later converted into concrete buildings.Idukki collector Dineshan Cheruvatt oversaw the eviction drive carried out as per Disaster Management Act in the presence of a heavily-deployed police force, following directions from Kerala high court.The collector said govt would rehabilitate only 12 persons identified by Santhapara panchayat as not owning any other land or house."Those who spent lakhs of rupees on unauthorized constructions are not eligible for rehabilitation. However, genuine beneficiaries with no alternative land or housing will be protected in coordination with the local self-govt institution," said Cheruvatt.He said the administration would examine whether there was any lapse on the part of the panchayat in permitting the illegal constructions and warned that strict action would follow if any negligence was found. The demolition expenses will be recovered from the owners of the illegal buildings.The collector said violation of rules protecting rivers and waterways to construct illegal structures could result in major disasters. Recalling last year's flood at Koottar, he warned that the administration would take strict action against encroachments that increase disaster risks. The reclaimed land would be utilized for the rejuvenation of the river, he added.The eviction began around 6am after prohibitory orders were imposed under the jurisdiction of Santhanpara police station. Devikulam sub-collector V M Arya, deputy collector (disaster management) K P Deepa and officials from the revenue and local self-govt department supervised the operation.Village officer issued stop memos on Oct 13, 2022, directing owners to halt construction. The occupants approached the high court, which on Jan 17, 2023 directed the revenue authorities to raze the illegal buildings. Supreme Court upheld the high court order. In Feb 2024, a special task force led by then Idukki sub-collector Arun S Nair sealed commercial buildings and issued notices asking residents to vacate structures used solely for residential purposes.The district disaster management authority also directed the Santhanpara panchayat secretary to remove the encroachments after finding that the illegal constructions were obstructing the flow of the Panniyar River and could cause major disasters during monsoon.In Feb this year, notices were issued directing owners to raze the illegal structures within 30 days. The revenue department initiated demolition proceedings after the deadline expired.