Coastal Regulation Zones
Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) notification, 1991:
Under the Environmental Protection Act 1986, notification was issued in 1991 for regulation of activities in the coastal area by MoEF.
- It defined the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) as:
- Coastal land up to 500m from the High Tide Line(HTL) and
- A range of 100m along banks of creeks, estuaries, backwaters & rivers subject to tidal fluctuations. [Reduced to 50m in recent notification]
- According to Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications, 1991, it is divided into 4 zones:
| CRZ I
A & B |
It refers to the ecologically sensitive areas, essential in maintaining the coastal ecosystem.
o Only exploration of natural gas and extraction of salt is permitted
|
| CRZ II | These are developed land areas up to the shoreline of the coast.
|
| CRZ III
A & B |
This includes rural and urban localities.
|
| CRZ IV
A & B |
CRZ IVA: The aquatic area up to the territorial limit (12 nautical miles from LTL).
IVB: River mouth |
Amendments:
- 2011 Notifications:
- It took into account natural disasters including the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
- There were areas of high vulnerability along the coast.
- 2018 amendment: all references to the hazard line have been removed & replaced with a fixed set–back line. A hazard line existed beyond the 500m zone from HTL in some areas.
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018:
It is released by MoEFCC and cleared by the Union cabinet: It has the potential to change the way coastal stretches in India are governed.
- Aim: enhancing activities in coastal regions & promoting economic growth while keeping in mind conservation principles of coastal regions.
- It does a comprehensive review of the 2011 CRZ notification.
- Provisions:
- Approval powers:
- Only projects in CRZ-I & CRZ-IV areas will require the necessary clearance from the ministry.
- The Powers of giving clearances wrt CRZ-II & CRZ-III have been delegated to the State Level.
- Construction Norms:
- Norms regarding FSI (Floor Space Index) or the FAR(Floor Area Ratio), were frozen at 1991 Development Control Regulation(DCR) levels. They have now been relaxed and will now be based on laws that are in vogue.
- No Development Zone (NDZ) criteria are now relaxed.
- Densely populated rural areas(density of above 2161/sq. km.): now have an NDZ of 50m from HTL as against 200m. These are covered in CRZ-III.
- Islands close to the mainland coast & for all backwater islands in the mainland: the new norms stipulate an NDZ of 20m from HTL.
- Criticism: Land grabbing by private and government actors has been a norm. Such actions disregard that the coastal space is a common property of coastal villages, towns, cities and public beaches.
- It allows greater use of coastal areas for tourism & industrial growth. “This will enable redevelopment of these areas to meet the emerging needs”.
- Temporary tourism facilities: such as shacks, toilet blocks, change rooms, drinking water facilities etc. on beaches are now permissible in NDZ. [They are covered under CRZ-III]
- Pollution treatment facilities: Now permissible in CRZ-I areas subject to necessary safeguards.
- Criticism: Common effluent treatment Plants (CETPs) are an impractical technology for cleaning up waste on most fragile parts of the coast.
- Criticism:
- Hazard line: Must be there to reduce vulnerability from natural disasters.
- Cyclones such as Okhi, Phalin, and Vardah must not be forgotten.
- CRZ for Creeks & backwaters: reduced to just 50m from 100m.
- Increased coastal tourism has a negative effect on the natural heritage. Such effects have been observed in areas like Thailand. Either the number of people visiting coasts need to be regulated or the pollution that they cause.
- Our tendency must be to move away from the coast due to the risks of sea level rise due to climate change.
- Hazard line: Must be there to reduce vulnerability from natural disasters.
- Approval powers:
M/o EFCC has relaxed CRZ rules that restrict construction near beaches.
- Aim: This has been done to help States construct infrastructure and enable them to receive ‘Blue Flag’ certification. ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an ‘eco-tourism model’.
- The Certification is accorded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education, with 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches: Environmental Education and Information, Bathing Water Quality, Environment Management and Conservation and Safety and Services.
- It requires beaches to create certain infrastructure e.g. portable toilet blocks, grey water treatment plants, a solar power plant, seating facilities, CCTV surveillance etc.
- However, CRZ laws don’t allow the construction of such infrastructure on beaches and islands.
Earlier, the Ministry had selected 13 beaches to compete for the certificate. These are: Ghoghala beach (Diu), Shivrajpur beach (Gujarat), Bhogave beach (Maharashtra), Padubidri and Kasarkod beach (Karnataka), Kappad beach (Kerala), Kovalam beach (Tamil Nadu), Eden beach (Puducherry), Rushikonda beach (Andhra Pradesh), Miramar beach (Goa), Golden beach (Odisha), Radhanagar beach (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) and Bangaram beach (Lakshadweep).
