An expert committee constituted by the Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA) has detected major violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms on the Mulloor-Pulinkudi stretch of the Thiruvananthapuram coast.

Most of the 31 structures inspected by the committee, including tourist resorts, houses, and shops, have been constructed in blatant violation of the CRZ norms, which prohibit development activities up to 200 metres from the High Tide Line (HTL).

The committee headed by N.P. Kurian, Director, Centre for Earth Science Studies, has submitted its findings to V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, chairman of the authority.

The report is due to come up for discussion at the next meeting of the authority on November 21.

Unauthorised buildings

The expert committee has been set up to investigate reports that unauthorised buildings were rampant along the coastal stretch earmarked for the development of a seaport at Vizhinjam.

Apart from Dr. Kurian, the expert committee includes K. Padmakumar of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala; A. Ramachandran, Registrar, Cochin University of Science and Technology; and Eapen Varghese, Chief Town Planner.