Reclamation will cause ecological damage to Vembanad

• A committee constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has held the CPT(Cochin Port Trust) responsible for CRZ violations in Vembanad, which was classified as a Critically Vulnerable Coastal Area in the CRZ 2011 notification.
• It has been alleged that the CPT has reclaimed stretches of Vembanad backwaters and has violated the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification.

About Vembanad lake:

• Vembanad Lake, also known as Vembanad Kayal, is the largest lake in Kerala and one of Asia's largest freshwater lakes.
• Sprawling over an area of 200 sq km, the lake lies at sea level, separated from the Arabian Sea by a narrow barrier island.
• The lake surrounds the islands of Pathiramanal, Perumbalam and Pallippuram and is a popular backwater stretch in Kerala.
• Government of India has identified the Vembanad wetland under National Wetlands Conservation Programme.
• The Vembanad Wetland system was included in the list of wetlands of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands in 2002. It is the largest of the three Ramsar Sites in the state of Kerala.

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