HC upholds order directing action against DLF

Kochi: The High Court Wednesday upheld the verdict of its single bench directing action against real estate major DLF for constructing an apartment complex in an ecologically fragile land near here and asked it to pay Rs one crore as compensation.

A division bench headed by Justice P R Ramachandra Menon found that there was violation of Coastal Regulation Zone norms in the construction of certain portions of DLF apartment complex on the banks of the Chilavanoor backwaters.

The bench, however, said there was no need for demolition of the offending building portion as directed by the single bench of the high court in 2014 but ordered the company to pay Rs one crore as compensation for uplift of the environment.

The company has been directed to deposit the amount with the District Collector, Ernakulam.

The order was issued in an appeal filed by DLF challenging the single bench verdict directing it to demolish certain portions of its apartment complex.

The construction had been undertaken after reclaiming 'wetland pokkali field' which had been classified as CRZ-I (ii) areas as it was an ecologically fragile area.