KOCHI: Responding to controversies related to Padmasarovaram project mayor Soumini Jain said that the project might not require CRZ clearance as it was coming up on a viaduct across the Chilavannoor backwaters. She also said that “some vested interests and land mafia” were trying to sabotage the project which would be beneficial to the people in the surrounding area.She reiterated that the work on the project was started after getting all approvals. “State-level technical committee as well as state-level high power committee had given approvals. Though we had applied for clearance from Kerala coastal zone management authority, we have to submit the application again as it was not filed in the prescribed format,” said the mayor. “CRZ clearance is required for projects coming up near backwaters. Padmasarovaram project may not require CRZ clearance since it is being planned on a viaduct across the backwaters,” she added.Earlier, speaking at the council meeting, BJP councillor Sudha Dileepkumar asked the mayor to brief her about the project. “As there wasn’t much discussion we are in the dark about the project. So, I am requesting the mayor to brief about it,” Dileepkumar said.Mayor said the original project design was changed considering difficulties in acquiring private land. “The original plan was to set up the project near the backwaters, which would have required acquiring more private land. Also, there are rampant encroachments. There are chances of landowners moving the court thereby delaying the project. So, we decided to implement the project on a viaduct across the backwaters,” she said.As per the original plan, there would have been a lake (sarovarom) in the marshland where lotus (padmam) would be grown, and the lotus would be marketed to generate income. The original proposal included a children’s play area, open air theatre, exhibition centre, walkway, public amenities and parking space on either entrance of Sahodaran Ayyappan Road and Subhash Chandra Bose Road in its original form.The revised plan includes walkway, cycle path, leisure area, children’s play area, food court, parking area and a single-storey building.

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