COUNTERVIEW: Ahmedabad: Tuesday,
June 21, 2016.
Sixteen
months after a Right to Information (RTI) application was filed, the Ministry
of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has disclosed a copy of the
“Report of the Committee to Review the Issues relating to the Coastal
Regulation Zone, 2011” to Kanchi Kohli, a well-known environmental expert.
This
disclosure came after an order of Information Commissioner Prof M Sridhar
Acharyulu on May 13, 2016 which stated that the ministry "cannot invent a
new defence or exemption such as ‘the report is under submission’, ‘file is
pending consideration’ and ‘unless approved it cannot be given’, etc, which are
not available under RTI Act, 2005, such an illegal refusal will amount to
denial of information which would invite penal proceedings under Section 20 of
RTI Act, 2005.”
Kohli says,
“The report has important recommendations Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
notification 2011. This notification has framework for conservation of coastal
and local livelihoods through clauses land use change, proactive conservation
initiatives and mapping of the coastal zone.”
Apart from recommending the framework for a
new draft CRZ notification, the report proposes a “conservation, protection and
management Framework for CRZ-1 areas” that are considered to be ecologically
fragile area and with dense mangroves, coral reefs, nesting grounds etc.
The report
proposes the devolution of powers to state and union territory governments
along with local authorities for CRZ II (built up cities and towns), CRZ III
(rural areas) and CRZ IV (12 nautical miles into the sea) areas. “These are for
activities not covered under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification,
2006”, says Kohli in an email to Counterview.
The report
recommends that buildings can be constructed behind existing structures and
roads in CRZ II areas as per existing Town and Country Planning norms”, even as
seeking division of “CRZ III areas a densely populated rural areas and rural
Areas with lesser regulation for the former through the reduction of the “no
development zone” to 50 metres.
The report
also seeks to promote housing infrastructure and slum redevelopment activities
in CRZ II and tourism in CRZ III areas based on town and country planning norms
and other state regulations, but recommends only temporary tourism facilities
in the No Development Zone (NDZ).
However, it
permits construction of permanent tourism facilities, and seeks reclamation of
the sea bed in CRZ IV area for “ports and harbour, fisheries-related activities
and other infrastructure required in the larger public interest such as
bridges, sealinks on stilts, roads, important national installations related to
coastal security, tourism”.
Set up in
June 2014, under the chairmanship of Dr Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Ministry of
Earth Sciences, the purpose of the committee was to examine issues of coastal
states related and also “the errors or inconsistencies and procedural
simplification in the said Notification.”
The committee
members had extensive meetings with the governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka
and Kerala and also invited representatives of state and union territory
governments for a meeting in New Delhi.
“No
consultations were carried with coastal communities, fishing unions or private
parties as per the information disclosed in the report. The report is yet to be
made available to the public by the ministry through its website”, Kohli says.
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