Corpn. to conduct survey to identify extent of encroachment on Kallai River

Kozhikode Corporation plans survey to address encroachment on Kallai River, sparking controversy and legal action by River Protection Committee.

The Kozhikode Corporation is planning to initiate a survey to determine the extent of encroachment on the Kallai River behind the new private building. The Town Planning overseer of the Corporation V.K. Shilna recently inspected the site based on the complaint filed by the Kallai River Protection Committee and has recommended a survey.

The 34 cents of land in question, once belonged to the Mangalam Newspaper, which then surrendered it to the Revenue department upon allegations that the backyard was an encroachment into the river. However, the River Protection Committee said that the private group has encroached upon the land. Though the attempt was foiled by the committee in November 2024, the encroachment continued, it said. The space is now allegedly being used as a parking area for the auditorium constructed on the land.

The committee had complained to the Kozhikode Corporation Secretary and the District Collector about the encroachment. The inspection was a result of this complaint.

Meanwhile, a video of the encroached land taken by some children requesting the District Collector to pay a visit to the site has gone viral on social media.

However, the committee has demanded the survey to be speeded up. “The tahsildar had earlier inspected the land and identified it as an encroachment. But the survey was not carried out even one month after the inspection”, said Faisal Pallikkandy, president of the committee. He also alleged that some officials were delaying it deliberately to aid the encroachers.

The committee is now planning to approach the Kerala High Court once again as the earlier order of the court to take action against the encroachments along the river, was yet to be implemented.