Munnar: The Idukki district collector on Saturday issued a stop memo to the newly inaugurated glass bridge at Anachal in Munnar, ordering an immediate halt to its operations on the day of its formal inauguration.

The 35-metre-long glass bridge, built at a cost of nearly ₹2 crore, was constructed on land owned by a private individual. Though it had been open to the public for two days, the official inauguration was held on Saturday.

According to the stop memo, the bridge stands on government (puramboke) land and is located in a red-zone area. The notice said the structure was built without statutory approvals, including the laying of a concrete platform on the hill and the erection of iron pipe pillars about 20 feet high without legal sanction.

The district collector noted that the Pallivasal Grama Panchayat had issued a construction prohibition order on March 1, 2025, and that no licence or operational permission had been granted for the facility. The notice also cited a Kerala High Court ruling that requires prior no-objection clearance from the Revenue Department for any construction activity in the Munnar region.

Officials further said the glass bridge had not obtained mandatory approval from the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society. A report by the Kunjithanny Village Officerhad earlier flagged unauthorised earth removal and unsafe construction practices.

Invoking provisions of the Disaster Management Act, the district collector directed that the glass bridge remain closed until further orders.