Udupi: The district administration has ordered the private agency in charge of maintenance of St. Mary’s Island near Malpe here to remove all structures which were in violation of the provisions of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, 2011, on the island. In her order on July 11, 2018, Deputy Commissioner and president of Malpe Development Committee Priyanka Mary Francis directed the private agency to close down the food court on the island with immediate effect.

No sales stalls would be allowed on the island in contravention of the CRZ notification. No private functions or programmes would be allowed on the island without prior permission, the order said.

The developer was warned that stern legal action would follow if the order was not followed and a legal case would be booked. But basic facilities made available on the island, including those for rescuing and saving lives of tourists, toilets and other related facilities, were exempt.

Besides these, no other construction activities should be taken up on the island, the order said. Ms. Francis said that the district administration had passed the directions based on the order of the Principal Secretary (Ecology and Environment). A meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary (Ecology and Environment), on July 10, 2018, had pointed out that the St. Mary’s Island was a National Geographical Monument. The island had been included under Coastal Regulation Zone 1, hence its protection was essential.

The department had found that a private agency was running a food court and other activities prohibited under CRZ 1. There was a possibility that such activities might affect marine life. Permission from the Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Authority was a must for starting such an activity related to tourism. But no such permission had been taken, the meeting noted.