04th November 2024 (12 Topics)

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Kerala’s New Coastal Zone Plan

Context

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs) for ten coastal districts in Kerala. This approval allows these districts to relax certain Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules and start new development activities, including building construction closer to the sea.

Importance for Kerala:

Kerala has about 590 km of coastline, with a high population density in coastal areas.
The CZMP approval is expected to benefit around 10 lakh people by easing restrictions on building new homes and repairing existing ones.
The new rules reduce the No Development Zone (NDZ) from 100 meters to 50 meters in certain areas, allowing for more construction.
Key Changes:
The NDZ around tidal waters will now be 50 meters instead of 100 meters.
This change categorizes 37 village panchayats as CRZ-III A, allowing more development in densely populated rural areas.
In total, the NDZ area in Kerala will be reduced significantly.
Concerns for Mangroves:
Mangrove areas, crucial for coastal ecosystems and fish breeding, will face reduced legal protection.
The buffer zone for government-held mangroves is decreased from 4,300 hectares to 2,500 hectares.
- Private landowners can now exploit mangroves on their properties, which poses a risk to these vital ecosystems.

Fact Box: Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)

Under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) issued notification in 1991, for regulation of activities in the coastal area.
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) is the area up to 500m from the high-tide line and a stage of 100m along banks of creeks, estuaries, backwater and rivers subject to tidal fluctuations.
CRZ Rules govern human and industrial activity close to the coastline, in order to protect the fragile ecosystems near the sea.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the 2019 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms, replacing the existing CRZ norms of 2011.
The new CRZ norms aim to promote sustainable development based on scientific principles.
Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) 1991 notification gave four fold classifications of coastal areas.
- CRZ-1: These are ecologically sensitive areas as they help in maintaining the ecosystem of the coast. They lie between low and high tide line. Exploration of natural gas and extraction of salt are permitted
- CRZ-2: These areas are urban areas located in the coastal areas. Now under new coastal zone regulations 2018, the floor space index norms have been de-freezed.
- CRZ-3: Rural and urban localities which fall outside the 1 and 2. Only certain activities related to agriculture even some public facilities are allowed in this zone
- CRZ-4: This lies in the aquatic area up to territorial limits. Fishing and allied activities are permitted in this zone. Solid waste should be let off in this zone. This zone has been changed from 1991 notification, which covered coastal stretches in islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshdweep

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GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

04th November 2024 (12 Topics)

Copy

Kerala’s New Coastal Zone Plan

Importance for Kerala:

Fact Box: Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)

Still Have Questions?

GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Kerala’s New Coastal Zone Plan

Importance for Kerala:

Fact Box: Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)

Still Have Questions?

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