KOCHI: The High Court has stopped the construction of buildings exceeding three-storey in Munnar. The special bench which was considering the Munnar issue brought an interim order prohibiting the construction of such buildings for two weeks. The chief justice earlier formed a new bench to consider various cases surrounding Munnar. The bench including Justice Mohamed Mushtaq and Sophy Thomas issued the interim order. The bench also appointed famed lawyer Harish Vasudevan as amicus curiae to study in detail about the incident.

The court made serious findings into the Munnar issue and learned about the serious lapse in upholding rule in the ecologically vulnerable spots of the hilly terrain. Other findings also revealed many construction works currently undergoing without proper NOC certificates from the revenue department. The court questioned the government about the lapse in not emulating the same rule applied for protecting ecological spots in Wayanad. While saying further, the court prohibited any further constructions in Munnar until the case gets considered again.

A total of nine panchayaths are parties in the case. The court also pondered about appointing a special committee of experts to learn the geographical variations in the terrain.