Construction site sealed in Coonoor after activists question lack of building approvals

Officials from the Coonoor Municipality (CMC) sealed a construction site at a shopping complex in Highfield recently for allegedly levelling land and using heavy equipment at an illegal construction site.

The illegal construction came to light after Confederation of Environment Associations of Nilgiris (CEAN) and other local groups launched a complaint against the construction activities to the local municipality. Officials from the CMC visited the site along with police personnel and conducted an inspection, following which the construction site was sealed.

Revenue Department officials said that they had registered a complaint with the local police about the illegal levelling of land at the site. Arun Bellie, one of the activists who alerted the Municipality about the construction activity, said that the building in question has been repurposed into a commercial one which comes under public scrutiny due to issues of safety and planning compliance.

He said that whistle-blowers informed officials about the construction taking place without any approvals. “Subsequently, it became clear that the permissions did not exist. A shopping complex on this scale, housed in a former factory, depends heavily on regulatory approvals to ensure structural safety and lawful land-use conversion,” he said, adding that if ordinary citizens are expected to comply with existing laws, then commercial establishments too have a ‘moral and legal obligation’ to gain necessary approvals before commencing construction.