A view of where Jain Coral Cove Apartments once stood in Maradu. | Photo credit: File photo
No new residential projects can be allowed at Holy Faith, Alfa Serene and Jain Coral Cove, the three Maradu apartments that were demolished six years ago for violating coastal regulatory zone rules, the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) has concluded.
However, an expert committee set up by the authority has recommended that residential units can be built on the land where Golden Kayaloram once stood, which was also demolished in 2020. It was the existence of an authorized road between the High Tide Line and the property that proved favorable to Golden Kayaloram.
The Holy Faith apartment complex, a towering 67-meter-tall structure, was torn down by an implosion on January 11, 2020, following a Supreme Court order. It was the first ever such demolition carried out in Kerala.
The absence of any permitted road or fixed structures between the tide line and the farms was detrimental to the three farms. According to a two-member committee comprising KK Vijayan and C. Ravichandran appointed by the Authority, no construction of buildings for residential purposes, schools, hospitals, institutions, offices or public places is allowed in these holdings as per the provisions of the CRZ 2019 notification.
The report of the sub-committee, which examined the feasibility of construction activities at four locations, will be forwarded to the Supreme Court in the near future. The Supreme Court had last year directed the Amicus Curiae in the case to conduct discussions with the authority on the feasibility of using the land for any construction activity.
In the case of Golden Kayaloram, the committee recommended that construction of buildings for residential purposes, schools, hospitals, institutions, offices and public places be allowed only on the adjacent side of the existing road or existing permitted fixed structures.
The panel also warned that no building permits would be granted on the landward side of any new roads built on the seaward side of an existing road.
Citing the provisions of the CRZ 2019 notification which placed Maradu municipality in the CRZ 2 zone, the panel noted that the buildings permitted in the Golden Kayaloram venture are subject to local land-use planning regulations applicable from time to time. For such construction, the floor area index or floor area ratio norms applicable as on the date of CRZ notification, he noted.
Demolition of housing complexes was a major action against illegal constructions that had come up on the banks of Vembanad Lake in violation of rules. Legal action has also been initiated against the builders, the civic officials who approved the project and the architects.
Published – 27 Jan 2026 21:04 IST
