Centre prepares new CRZ notification draft
Special regulations for Goa, Mumbai and Sunderbans region
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI, SEPT 14
The Environment and Forest Ministry has come out with a fresh draft of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2010, improving upon the one issued in April, with special regulations for Goa, Mumbai, Kerala and the Sunderbans region of West Bengal.
It permits reconstruction and repair works of structures of local communities in CRZ. Also permitted are facilities for fishing like traditional fish processing yards, boat building or repair yards, ice plants and storage, auction halls and jetties.
The draft also permits setting up and expansion of fish processing units including warehousing but excludes hatchery and natural fish drying in permitted areas. Expansion of such units for modernisation can cover 25 per cent additional plinth area but it should not be on the seaward side existing prior to the CRZ notification of February 19, 1991 and is also subject to approval by the State Pollution Control Board.
The Goa government is required to survey and map the fishing villages all along the Goa coast to put into operation provisions of the draft notification, which also mandates mapping of eco-sensitive low-lying khajan lands influenced by tidal action and protection of mangroves on such lands .
Every five years: The draft notification, that requires redrawing the CRZ map every five years, also prohibits any developmental activity on sand dunes as also on the beaches of Mandrem, Morjim, Galgiba and Agonda designated as turtle nesting sites and protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
As regards demarcation of high tide and low tide lines (HTL and LTL), the draft requires consideration of landward (monsoonal) crest in case of sandy beaches rocks, headlands, cliffs, seawalls or revetments or embankments.
The State governments are required to identify all violations of CRZ Notification, 1991, within three months and act upon them within six months from the date of issue of the final 2010 notification, so as to prevent any ambiguity in enforcement of the two notifications.
500 metres from HTL: The draft notification, which divides the coastal areas into five CRZs, prohibits construction or expansion of industries up to 500 metres on landward side from the high tide line (HTL) as also up to 100 metres from HTL or width of creek whichever is less along the tidal influenced water bodies (rivers) that have salinity concentration of 5 parts per thousand (ppt) during the driest period of the year.
The restrictions also apply to land falling between the hazard line and 500 metres from HTL on the landward side. The HTL to be demarcated within one year will be the line on the land up to the highest water line reaches during the spring tide.
The most stern prohibitions are prescribed for CRZ-I that also includes areas between LTL and HTL and those prone to inundation due to sea level rise.
Relaxation: In case of CRZ-III, there is a relaxation that areas up to 200 metres from HTL towards landward side are to be earmarked as “no development zone” that shall permit no construction except for repairs and reconstruction of existing authorised structures but without increasing plinth area or floor space index.
Activities relating to agriculture, horticulture, salt manufacture, gardens, pastures, parks, play field, and forestry will be permitted in this zone. The permitted activities also include construction of dispensaries, schools, community toilet, crematoria, cemeteries, electric sub stations, bridges, roads and facilities for water supply, drainage and sewerage.
Beach resorts: Areas between 200 metres and 500 metres of HTL in CRZ-II AND CRZ-III will be allowed for construction of hotels and beach resorts, but with condition that there shall be no permanent sports structures except goal, net or lamp posts and fencing should not hamper public access to beaches.
The plot size for such construction should not be less than 0.4 hectares and the covered area on all floors shall not exceed 33 per cent, with a ceiling of nine metres on the overall height and the construction shall have a maximum two floors, that is a ground floor plus one upper floor.
The draft also requires a gap of not less than 500 metres between two hotels or beaches to allow public access to the beach and mandatory clearance under the Forest Conservation Act if the project involves diversion of forest land.
