Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 27: A bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justice T S Thakur and Justice V Gopala Gowda has directed that the exercise which the Government of India has initiated to fill up the missing gaps in the process of completion of Integrated Islands Management Plans (IIMPs) for the Lakshadweep Islands should be completed expeditiously but not later than October 30, 2015.
The direction has been passed in a Civil Appeal titled Union of Lakshadweep and Others Versus Seashells Beach Resort and Others which pertains to allegations regarding violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone and other irregularities in relation to establishment and or running resorts and home-stays in the Lakshadweep Islands.
In this Civil Appeal, the Supreme Court had earlier constituted an expert committee headed by Justice R V Raveendran, former Judge of the Apex Court, to examine and submit a comprehensive report on many vital aspects including evaluation of draft Integrated Islands Management Plans.
While accepting the report of the committee the Apex Court had directed the Government of India and Union Territory of the Lakshadweep to place on record outlines of the various follow-up action that the Government propose to take and the timelines for such action.
Keeping in view nature of controversy, the Apex Court appointed Gaurav Pachnanda as Amicus Curiae. Later, Lakshadweep Administration undertook to forward the Integrated Island Management Plans prepared by the Centre for Earth Sciences Studies after incorporating the recommendations of the Expert Committee for consideration and approval of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
It was also submitted by the Lakshadweep Administration that once the IIMPs are notified by the Government of India, Administration will demarcate the High Tide Lines and No Development Zones and Regulated Development Zones.
However, Amicus Curiae submitted that the affidavit filed by the Lakshadweep Administration didn’t address certain other issues and recommendations made by the Expert Committee such as framing of development control regulations and building bye-laws without which construction activities at the islands would be haphazard and create a slum-like situation.
Now, the Supreme Court has directed that the exercise which Government of India has initiated to fill up the missing gaps in the process of completion of IIMPs should be completed expeditiously but not later than October 30, 2015 in regard not only to Agatti but all other Islands also.
The Apex Court has also made it clear that Government of India must ensure that National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management at Chenani, which has been approached by the Government of India, must complete its task within the fixed time-frame.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel