Team Herald
PANJIM: The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has amended the CRZ Notification, 2019, to allow manual sand extraction from sandbars in rivers and setting up of temporary structures; in CRZ areas provided they remain non-operational during the monsoon season.
In a letter to Union Minister Bhupender Yadav in September, the Goa Government had requested to amend the notification to allow manual extraction of sand in coastal areas where sand is not available in other sources which is prohibited in CRZ.
The amendments, which will be applicable in only those States where Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 is notified, further state that the governments and Union Territory administration can permit removal of sand in “specified quantity and in specified time period”.
The Ministry has also set condition that “the sand bars in the intertidal areas shall be removed by traditional coastal communities only through non-mechanised manual methods”, while making annual renewal of registration mandatory.
While the Centre has reserved rights to deal with all development activities or projects in CRZ-I and CRZ-IV regions that are governed by or permitted by the CRZ Notification 2019, based on the proposal of the relevant coastal zone management body, the local coastal authorities have been granted powers to clear all other projects.
“All development activities or projects in CRZ-I and CRZ-IV areas, which are regulated or permissible as per this notification, shall be dealt with by the Central Government for Coastal Regulation Zone clearance, based on the recommendation of the concerned Coastal Zone Management Authority with the following exceptions, namely: — stand-alone jetties, salt works, slipways, temporary structures and erosion control measures (like bunds, seawall, groynes, breakwaters, submerged reef, sand nourishment, etc.) which shall be dealt by concerned Coastal Zone Management Authority,” the Ministry said.
