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CRZ Amendment Raises Concerns Among Coastal Communities

Environment and Ecology Concept of Ecology
  • Published on: 13-Jan-16
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CRZ Amendment Raises Concerns Among Coastal Communities
  • The amendment to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification 2011 permitting the use of reclaimed land for construction of roads in notified areas has triggered a wave of concern among coastal communities, amid fears that it would trigger further dilution of CRZ norms.
  • The notification adds that construction of roads would be permitted only on the recommendation of the Coastal Zone Management Authority concerned and the clearance of MoEFCC(Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change).
  • It also mandates compensatory afforestation to replace the mangroves cut or destroyed for road construction.
  • There is a possibility that these amendments would spark a spree of construction activities along the coast, endangering the marine and coastal ecosystems.
  •  Environmentalists are also worried as the amendment would permit roads to come up in the CRZ1 region comprising ecologically sensitive areas and classified as a ‘no development zone’.
About CRZ notification, 2011:

  • Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 was notified in January, 2011. It replaced CRZ of 1991, which was amended for 25 times and needed an update.
  • The “no development zone” definition has been changed. It is reduced from 200 metres from the high-tide line to 100 meters only. This has been done to meet increased demands of housing of fishing and other traditional coastal communities.
  • This notification widens the definition of CRZ to include the land area from HTL (High Tide Line) to 500 m on the landward side.
  •  The CRZ also includes water area up to 12 nautical miles in the sea and the entire water area of a tidal water body such as creek, river, and estuary without imposing any restrictions of fishing activities.
  • The concept of a ‘hazard line’ was introduced. Hazard line supposed to be demarcated by the MOEF through the Survey of India, by taking into account tides, waves, sea level rise and shoreline changes
  • The CRZ notification 2011 enshrines that concept of a Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). This is supposed to regulate coastal development activity and which are to be formulated by the State Governments or the administration of Union Territories.
  • It will be prepared with the fullest involvement and participation of local communities.The concept of classification of CRZ into four zones has continued in the 2011 notification with the following delineation:
1.       CRZ I- ecologically sensitive areas such as mangroves, coral reefs, salt marshes, turtle nesting ground and the inter-tidal zone

2.       CRZ II- areas close to the shoreline and which have been developed.

3.       CRZ III- Coastal areas that are not substantially built up, including rural coastal areas.

4.       CRZ IV- water area from LTL to the limit of territorial waters of India

  • CRZ IV has been changed from the 1991 notification, which covered coastal stretches in the islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshwadeep. The MOEF has issued a separate notification titled Island Protection Zone 2011 in relation to these areas.
  • A new category called areas requiring special consideration has been created which consists of (i) CRZ areas of Greater Mumbai, Kerala and Goa, and (ii) Critically vulnerable coastal areas such as Sunderbans.
  • Clearances for obtaining CRZ approval have been made time-bound. Further, for the first time, post-clearance monitoring of projects has been introduced in the form of the requirement to submit half-yearly compliance reports.
  • Mining of limestone and other similar minerals is prohibited in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area. The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 1991 and the recently issued CRZ Notification, 2011, prohibits the mining of sand, rocks and other substrata material including limestone except rare minerals like, monazite, rutile etc., and exploitation of oil and natural gas.
  •  New industries and expansion of  old industries are prohibited in the CRZs, with some exceptions such as  projects of the Department of Atomic Energy; facilities for generating  power by non-conventional energy sources; and development of a Greenfield  airport already permitted only at Navi Mumbai. Discharge of untreated waste and effluents from industries, cities or towns and other human settlements is also prohibited as is dumping of city or town waste including construction debris, industrial solid waste, etc.

By: Vishal
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