Team Herald
PANJIM: The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed States, including Goa to take action against all those activities, permitted in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas, are being undertaken without obtaining prior clearance from the authorities.
In an office memorandum issued to all the coastal States, the Ministry, has however, said that all such activities, which have commenced construction without prior clearance, would be considered for prospecting clearance, only in case if the project proponents make application to Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) with all the relevant documents including Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report and other statutory clearances.
“Further, action should be taken by the respective State governments or State Pollution Control Board, as the case may be, under respective provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, for violation of not taking prior approval,” MoEF&CC Joint Secretary Dr Sujit Kumar Bajpayee said.
He said that the Ministry has received several requests from the coastal State governments for proposals, under CRZ notification 2011, for considering CRZ clearance in respect of permissible activities which have commenced work without a prior CRZ clearance due to inadequate knowledge of the regulatory regime and other factors.
“Bringing such proposals and activities in compliance with the environmental laws at the earliest point of time is therefore essential, rather than leaving them unregulated And unchecked, which will be more damaging to the environment,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry further directed the coastal body (CZMA) to assess the environment damage caused by all such projects, where construction activities have started or projects are in operation, without obtaining prior CRZ clearance.
All such project proponents will be directed to follow Compensatory Conservation Plan and a Community Resource Argumentation Plan, within three years from the issue of clearance.
The project proponents will have to thereafter apply for necessary CRZ clearance before the Ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee.
