Kochi Real Estate Giants are eyeing Wetlands and Farmlands
Most realtors prefer to buy wetlands near canals which can easily be encroached. As the real estate boom spreads to the outskirts, the invaluable wetlands and farmlands of Kochi are transforming into up lands for ‘basements’ for skyrises. Corporate lobbies and real estate giants are eyeing this fertile land and competing with each other to grab land for their multi-crore projects.
In Tripunithura and Irumbanam, the filling process takes place in a unique manner.As a first step, coconut trees are planted over the gravel on the sides of these land forms. They gradually spread the gravel to the nearby wet lands, thus converting the entire land into plots for various construction purposes.
Recently in Panangad a spacious wet land was converted into one such square plot suitable for the construction of a sky rise. Interestingly the filling takes place with the silent permission of the authorities. Almost all the filling takes place violating the Kerala Municipality Building Rules (KMBR) and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. Though a system is in place to check the violations and trespassing of canals and other government bodies, the roots of corruption are very deep.
“We are helpless to prevent this illegal filling as the parties engaged in these activities have influences. A mere beaurocratic set-up can do nothing against these well-organised groups,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity. By encroaching the sides of a canal or by filling the entire passage of water, many of the real estate lobbies grab the canals and other waterbodies. Again, these ‘development projects’ take place with the official sanction of the related bodies.
The other side of the story is that, along with the increase in demand of gravel for filling these wetlands and farm lands, more and more hills in and around the city suburbs like Chottanikkara, Mulanthuruthy and Piravom are getting transformed into level land. Hundreds of truckers ply between the city and the suburbs to speed up the filling process. Through such thoughtless actions, they flatten the hills, a phenomenon which is clearly visible when one passes through Chottanikkara or Mulanthuruthi.
Encroachments, illegal buildings, illegal landfill, Kochi, Kochi Real Estate, Kochi Real Estate Giants, Land Mafia, Real Estate Giants, Real Estate Giants eyeing Wetlands, Real estate Kochi, Real estate mafia
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