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The reclamation and building of the High Court jetty and Major Terminal as part of the Kochi Metro Project on the western side of the Cochin Marine Drive walkway has been challenged in public interest litigation filed before the Kerala High Court. Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly asked the Centre for a response. the views of Kochi Metro Rails Ltd and the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority. The petitioner KG Prathapa Simhan petitioned the Court challenging the construction of a building under the garb of a "jetty" by recovering Vembanad backwaters in gross violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011. According to the petitioner, Kochi Metro Rails Ltd. is building 38 jetties across the Vembanad backwaters as part of its "Kochi Water Metro" project. The waterbody where the jetty would be built is within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area.
The Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change must approve it. The Kochi Metro Rail has received CRZ and environmental clearances for the whole project, except for the "jetty". The Clearance stipulated that construction activities must be carried out in compliance with the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification. The petition states that the respondents have not met this criterion. There is a major terminal for the Kochi Metro Project on the western side of the Cochin Marine Drive Walkway called High Court Jetty. It has a ground area of 2432 sq. metres and a water area of 2376 sq metres where backwater is recovered for the project. The petitioner claims the proposed Terminal sits on a backwater due to reclamation. While a "jetty" does not alter natural water flow, reclamation for a terminal building does.
It was also claimed that reclaiming backwaters by disrupting natural seawater flow could harm the ecology. On this basis, it was argued that the ongoing building was illegal and that the Centre and the State should have halted it immediately. The petitioner argues that they have failed badly in their duty.
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