Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Why is salt pan land being used for homes?
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Mains level: Urbanisation in the eco-sensitive zone;
Why in the News?
The Maharashtra government allocated 255.9 acres of salt pan land across three parcels in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs for rental housing under the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
What is Salt pans?
|
What is the Maharashtra government doing to relocate people?
- Allocation of Land for Housing: The Maharashtra government has issued a Government Resolution (GR) allocating 255.9 acres of salt pan land for the construction of rental housing as part of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. This land is to be used for slum rehabilitation and affordable housing for economically weaker sections.
- Lease Agreement: The land parcels will be leased to the Maharashtra government for 99 years, with the objective of providing housing for residents displaced from Dharavi.
- Involvement of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV): The Dharavi Redevelopment Project Private Limited (DRPPL), in which an Adani Group entity holds 80% stake and the State government has a 20% stake, is responsible for the construction and resettlement of laborers working on the land.
- Concessional Rate for Land: The land is being provided at a concessional rate of 25% of the prevailing market rate, making it more accessible for development.
Why is the move controversial?
- Environmental Concerns: Urban planners and environmentalists have raised concerns about the lack of an impact assessment study before developing large parcels of salt pan land.
- Risk of Ghetto Formation: Critics argue that relocating residents to different parts of the city, rather than in-situ rehabilitation (keeping them in their original areas), could lead to the formation of ghettos and further social segregation.
Are salt pan lands ecologically important?
- Ecological Role: Salt pan lands are vital as salt marshlands that serve as holding ponds, absorbing rainwater and acting as natural sponges, thereby helping to mitigate flooding.
- Biodiversity: These areas support diverse flora and fauna, contributing to the ecological balance of coastal regions.
- Natural Defense: The salt pan lands provide a coastal area’s natural defense against flooding and other environmental hazards, highlighting their importance in maintaining regional ecological health.
Way forward:
- Integrate Environmental Assessments with Development Planning: The Maharashtra government should implement a framework that integrates environmental impact assessments into the planning process for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.
- Adopt a Community-Centric Approach to Resettlement: The government should engage with affected communities to explore in-situ rehabilitation options and gather input on their housing needs.
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Controversy over Mumbai’s salt pans
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Salt Pan Lands;
Mains level: Significance of Salt Pans;
Why in the News?
The Centre has recently approved transferring 256 acres of Mumbai’s salt pan land to DRPPL, a joint venture with Adani Realty, for constructing rental housing for slum residents.
What are Salt Pan Lands?
|
Why are Mumbai’s Salt Pan Lands at Risk?
- Development Pressures: Salt pans are valuable as undeveloped land in Mumbai, leading to proposals for various development projects, including affordable housing and infrastructure.
- Government Plans: Recent approvals, such as the transfer of 256 acres of salt pan land for the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, have faced criticism due to concerns that such development will encroach on these ecologically sensitive areas.
- Legal and Administrative Challenges: Past plans for using saltpan lands for development have been put on hold or altered due to legal and environmental challenges, including those concerning the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.
Why do Salt Pans Matter?
- Flood Prevention: Salt pans play a crucial role in preventing flooding in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs by acting as natural reservoirs for excess water during heavy rains and high tides.
- During significant rainfall events, such as the July 2005 deluge, salt pans helped mitigate the impact of flooding, emphasizing their importance in urban flood management.
- Environmental Protection: They support local biodiversity, including various species of birds and insects. Destroying or altering these lands could disrupt these ecosystems.
- Climate Resilience: Salt pans contribute to the city’s climate resilience strategy, making their preservation crucial for managing future climate-related challenges.
National Context:
- Across India, approximately 60,000 acres are designated as salt pan lands, distributed among states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.
- These lands are crucial for local ecosystems and flood management, highlighting the broader importance of preserving such areas from development pressures.
Way Forward:
- Strengthen Environmental Regulations: Enhance the enforcement of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and other environmental regulations to safeguard salt pan lands.
- Promote Sustainable Land Use Planning: Integrate salt pan lands into urban planning strategies as critical components of flood management and biodiversity conservation.
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
[pib] National Coastal Mission Scheme (NCM)
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: National Coastal Mission Scheme (NCM)
Why in the News?
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has expanded the National Coastal Mission Scheme (NCM) to address the challenges posed by rising sea levels.
About National Coastal Mission Scheme (NCM)
- The NCM was launched in July 2014.
- It aims to address the climate change impact on coastal areas and ensure sustainable development of coastal regions.
- It is part of India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), focusing on sustainable development and climate resilience in coastal areas.
- Key Areas:
- Coastal protection
- Conservation of coastal ecosystems
- Development of sustainable livelihoods
- Enhancing climate resilience
- The MoEFCC, Government of India, is responsible for implementing the scheme.
Key Strategies
- Coastal Protection: Construction and maintenance of coastal protection infrastructure to prevent erosion and manage coastal disasters.
- Ecosystem Conservation: Conservation and restoration of mangroves, coral reefs, and other critical coastal ecosystems.
- Sustainable Livelihoods: Promotion of sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities through skill development and capacity building.
- Climate Resilience: Improving the resilience of coastal communities and infrastructure to climate change impacts.
Major Initiatives:
- Management Action Plan on Conservation of Mangroves and Coral Reefs
- Research & Development in Marine and Coastal ecosystem
- Sustainable Development of Beaches under Beach Environment & Aesthetic Management Service
- Capacity Building / Outreach Programme of Coastal States/UTs on conservation of marine and coastal ecosystem including beach cleaning drive.
PYQ:[2022] Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating the hazard? [2011] The 2004 Tsunami made people realize that mangroves can serve as a reliable safety hedge against coastal calamities. How do mangroves function as a safety hedge? (a) The mangrove swamps separate the human settlements from the sea by a wide zone in which people neither live nor venture out. (b) The mangroves provide both food and medicines which people are in need of after any natural disaster. (c) The mangrove trees are tall with dense canopies and serve as an excellent shelter during a cyclone or tsunami. (d) The mangrove trees do not get uprooted by storms and tides because of their extensive roots. |
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Aquaculture, Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023
Mains level: Read the attached story
The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill 2023 was introduced in the Lok Sabha.
What is Aquaculture?
- Aquaculture essentially means, breeding, raising, and harvesting fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants.
- In a nutshell, it’s farming in water.
- Saline water along the coast has been found to be suitable for practising aquaculture which produces shrimp, majorly.
- If aquaculture is not practised on this land, it will be left idle and uncultivated as it is not suitable for the cultivation of crops.
- Aquaculture can be practised on about 12 lakh hectares in the country along the coast, of which only 14% has been utilized so far.
Key highlights of the amendment
- Decriminalisation of certain offences: The Bill aims to decriminalize the offences under the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act.
- Fine-tuning operational procedures: It seeks to promote ease of doing business and to fine-tune the operational procedures of the authority.
- Promotion of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture: The Bill also aims to promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture, such as cage culture, seaweed culture, marine ornamental fish culture, and pearl oyster culture.
- Create employment opportunities: These newer forms of coastal aquaculture have the potential to create additional employment opportunities.
- Prevention of use of harmful substances in coastal aquaculture: The Bill also includes a provision to prevent the use of antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances that are harmful to human health in coastal aquaculture.
About the Coastal Aquaculture Act
- This Act was enacted in the year 2005 for the establishment an authority to regulate activities in this sector.
- It is a parliamentary act that establishes the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) for the regulation and registration of coastal aquaculture farms in India.
Overview
- The CAA Act, of 2005 mandates the Central Government to take measures to regulate coastal aquaculture and ensure that it does not cause any harm to the coastal environment.
- The guidelines prescribed by the government aim to promote responsible coastal aquaculture practices that protect the livelihood of various coastal communities.
Key features
- The CAA Act, 2005 provides for the establishment of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority to regulate the activities related to coastal aquaculture.
- The Central Government is responsible for prescribing guidelines to regulate coastal aquaculture activities and ensure responsible practices.
- The guidelines aim to protect the livelihood of coastal communities and prevent any harm to the coastal environment.
- The Act also mandates the registration of coastal aquaculture farms to ensure their compliance with the guidelines.
- The CAA is a strong force in enforcing the regulations and registration of coastal aquaculture farms in India.
Significance
- The Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act, of 2005 is significant in promoting responsible coastal aquaculture practices and protecting the livelihood of coastal communities.
- The act ensures that coastal aquaculture activities are regulated and registered, which helps prevent harm to the coastal environment.
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Kerala government publishes map for people to seek exemption from ESZ
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Eco-sensitive buffer Zones (ESZs)
Mains level: Read the attached story
The Kerala government has published a forest department map that better reflects the block and plot-wise details of localities that could potentially fall under the Supreme Court-suggested one-km ecologically sensitive buffer zone (ESZ) around forests if imposed.
What are the Eco-sensitive Zones (ESZs)?
- Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.
- The purpose of declaring ESZs is to create some kind of “shock absorbers” to the protected areas by regulating and managing the activities around such areas.
- They also act as a transition zone from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser protection.
How are they demarcated?
- The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 does NOT mention the word “Eco-Sensitive Zones”.
- However, Section 3(2)(v) of the Act, says that Central Government can restrict areas in which any industries, operations or processes or class of industries, operations or processes shall be carried out or shall not, subject to certain safeguards.
- Besides Rule 5(1) of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 states that central government can prohibit or restrict the location of industries and carrying on certain operations or processes on the basis of certain considerations.
- The same criteria have been used by the government to declare No Development Zones (NDZs).
Defining its boundaries
- An ESZ could go up to 10 kilometres around a protected area as provided in the Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002.
- Moreover, in the case where sensitive corridors, connectivity and ecologically important patches, crucial for landscape linkage, are beyond 10 km width, these should be included in the ESZs.
- Further, even in the context of a particular Protected Area, the distribution of an area of ESZ and the extent of regulation may not be uniform all around and it could be of variable width and extent.
Activities Permitted and Prohibited
- Permitted: Ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of renewable energy sources, and adoption of green technology for all activities.
- Prohibited: Commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing pollution (air, water, soil, noise etc), the establishment of major hydroelectric projects (HEP), commercial use of wood, Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park, discharge of effluents or any solid waste or production of hazardous substances.
- Under regulation: Felling of trees, the establishment of hotels and resorts, commercial use of natural water, erection of electrical cables, drastic change of agriculture system, e.g. adoption of heavy technology, pesticides etc, widening of roads.
What is the recent SC judgment that has caused an uproar in Kerala?
- On June 3, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court heard a PIL that sought to protect forest lands in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, but was later expanded to cover the entire country.
- In its judgment, the court while referring to the 2011 guidelines as “reasonable”, directed all states to have a mandatory 1-km ESZ from the demarcated boundaries of every protected area.
- It also stated that no new permanent structure or mining will be permitted within the ESZ.
- If the existing ESZ goes beyond 1-km buffer zone or if any statutory instrument prescribes a higher limit, then such extended boundary shall prevail, the court, as per the Live Law report.
Why are people protesting against it?
- There is a high density of human population near the notified protected areas.
- Farmer’s groups and political parties have been demanding that all human settlements be exempt from the ESZ ruling.
- The total extent of the wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala is eight lakh acres.
- If one-km of ESZ is demarcated from their boundaries, around 4 lakh acres of human settlements, including farmlands, would come within that purview.
Try this PYQ
With reference to ‘Eco-Sensitive Zones’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
- The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities, in those zones except agriculture.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Post your answers here.
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Coastal ecosystem norms
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CAG Audit, CRZ norms
Mains level: Read the attached story
This week, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India tabled a report in Parliament on whether steps taken by the Union Environment Ministry to conserve India’s coastal ecosystems have been successful.
Why in news?
- The CAG frequently undertakes ‘performance audits’ of government programmes and ministries.
Centre’s obligations on conserving the coastline
- The government has issued notifications under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to regulate activities along India’s coasts particularly regarding construction.
- The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification (CRZ), 2019 implemented by the Ministry, classifies the coastal area into different zones to manage infrastructure activities and regulate them.
The three institutions responsible for the implementation of the CRZ are:
- National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) at the Centre,
- State/Union Territory Coastal Zone Management Authorities (SCZMAs/UTCZMAs) in every coastal State and Union Territory
- District Level Committees (DLCs) in every district that has a coastal stretch and where the CRZ notification is applicable
Functions under CRZ rules
- These bodies examine if CRZ clearances granted by the government are as per procedure, if project developers are once given the go-ahead are complying with conditions and if the project development objectives under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme (ICZMP) are successful.
- They also evaluate the measures taken up by the government towards achieving the targets under Sustainable Development Goals.
Why did the CAG undertake this audit?
- The CAG has a constitutional mandate to investigate and report on publicly funded programmes.
- The CAG conducted “pre-audit studies” and found that there were large-scale CRZ violations in the coastal stretches.
- Incidences of illegal construction activities (reducing coastal space) and effluent discharges from local bodies, industries and aquaculture farms had been reported by the media and this prompted it to undertake a detailed investigation.
What did the recent audit find?
The audit pointed out various categories of violations.
- There were instances of the Expert Appraisal Committees —who evaluate the feasibility of an infrastructure project and its environmental consequences — not being present during project deliberations.
- There were also instances of the members of the EAC being fewer than half of the total strength during the deliberations.
- The SCZMA had not been reconstituted in Karnataka and there was delayed reconstitution in the States of Goa, Odisha and West Bengal.
- The DLCs of Tamil Nadu lacked participation from local traditional communities. In Andhra Pradesh, DLCs were not even established.
- There were instances of projects being approved despite inadequacies in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) reports.
What problems did the CAG find in the States?
- Lack of strategy: Tamil Nadu didn’t have a strategy in place to conserve the Gulf of Mannar Islands.
- Lack of monitoring: In Goa, there was no system for monitoring coral reefs and no management plans to conserve turtle nesting sites.
- No scientific oversight: In Gujarat, instruments procured to study the physiochemical parameters of soil and water of the inertial area of the Gulf of Kutch weren’t used.
- Monitoring issues: Sea patrolling in Gahirmatha Sanctuary, in Kendrapara, Odisha did not happen.
- No information in public domain: There was no website to disseminate the information related to the NCZMA, the CAG found, which is a clear violation of the mandated requirements of the Authority.
What lies ahead?
- These reports are placed before the Standing Committees of Parliament, which select those findings and recommendations that they judge to be the most critical to public interest and arrange hearings on them.
- In this case, the Environment Ministry is expected to explain omissions pointed out by the CAG and make amends.
Back2Basics: Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India
- The CAG is the Constitutional Authority, established under Article 148 of the Constitution of India.
- They are empowered to Audit all receipts and expenditure of the GoI and the State Governments, including those of autonomous bodies and corporations substantially financed by the Government.
- The CAG is also the statutory auditor of Government-owned corporations.
- It conducts supplementary audit of government companies in which the Government has an equity share of at least 51 per cent or subsidiary companies of existing government companies.
- The reports of the CAG are laid before the Parliament/Legislatures and are being taken up for discussion by the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs).
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
[pib] Kovalam & Eden Beaches gets Blue Fag Certification
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Blue Flag Certification
Mains level: NA
The international eco-label “Blue Flag”, has accorded the Blue Flag Certification for 2 new beaches this year –Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry beaches.
With this India now has 10 International Blue Flag beaches.
Which are the other 8 beaches?
- Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat)
- Ghoghla (Diu)
- Kasarkod (Karnataka) [NOT Kasargod which is in Kerala] and
- Padubidri (Karnataka)
- Kappad (Kerala)
- Rushikonda (AP)
- Golden Beach (Odisha) and
- Radhanagar (A&N Islands)
Blue Flag Beaches
- The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an ‘eco-tourism model’ and marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, a safe and healthy environment, and sustainable development of the area.
- The certification is accorded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education.
- It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
- It has 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches, that is, (i) Environmental Education and Information (ii) Bathing Water Quality (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services.
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Tarballs on Mumbai Coast
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Tarballs
Mains level: Oil spills and the threats posed
A beach in South Mumbai, saw black oil-emanating balls lying on the shore.
What are Tarballs?
- Tarballs are dark-coloured, sticky balls of oil that form when crude oil floats on the ocean surface.
- Tarballs are formed by weathering of crude oil in marine environments.
- They are transported from the open sea to the shores by sea currents and waves.
- Tarballs are usually coin-sized and are found strewn on the beaches. Some of the balls are as big as a basketball while others are smaller globules.
- However, over the years, they have become as big as basketballs and can weigh as much as 6-7 kgs.
How are tarballs formed?
- Wind and waves tear the oil slick into smaller patches that are scattered over a much wider area.
- Various physical, chemical and biological processes (weathering) change the appearance of the oil.
Why are tarballs found on the beaches during the monsoon?
- It is suspected that the oil comes from the large cargo ships in the deep sea and gets pushed to the shore as tarballs during monsoon due to wind speed and direction.
- All the oil spilt in the Arabian sea eventually gets deposited on the western coast in the form of tarballs in the monsoon season when wind speed and circulation pattern favour transportation of these tarballs.
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Rules
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CRZ norms
Mains level: Coastal conservation in India
Few illegal apartment complexes in Maradu, Kerala, were razed as ordered by the Supreme Court for breaching Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The court had called the illegal constructions a “colossal loss” to the environment.
What are CRZ norms?
- In India, the CRZ Rules govern human and industrial activity close to the coastline, in order to protect the fragile ecosystems near the sea.
- They restrict certain kinds of activities — like large constructions, setting up of new industries, storage or disposal of hazardous material, mining, reclamation and bunding — within a certain distance from the coastline.
- After the passing of the Environment Protection Act in 1986, CRZ Rules were first framed in 1991.
- After these were found to be restrictive, the Centre notified new Rules in 2011, which also included exemptions for the construction of the Navi Mumbai airport and for projects of the Department of Atomic Energy.
- In 2018, fresh Rules were issued, which aimed to remove certain restrictions on building, streamlined the clearance process, and aimed to encourage tourism in coastal areas.
- While the CRZ Rules are made by the Union environment ministry, implementation is to be ensured by state governments through their Coastal Zone Management Authorities.
Where do they apply?
- In all Rules, the regulation zone has been defined as the area up to 500 m from the high-tide line.
- The restrictions depend on criteria such as the population of the area, the ecological sensitivity, the distance from the shore, and whether the area had been designated as a natural park or wildlife zone.
- The latest Rules have a no-development zone of 20 m for all islands close to the mainland coast, and for all backwater islands in the mainland.
Back2Basics
Coastal Regulation Zone: How rules for building along coast have evolved
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
[pib] International Blue Flag hoisted at 8 beaches across the Country
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Blue Flag Beaches
Mains level: Coastal conservation
The Environment Minister has virtually hoisted the international blue flags in 8 beaches across the country.
Try this PYQ:
Q. At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the seawater recedes from the shoreline a few kilometers and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the seafloor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at:
(a) Bhavnagar
(b) Bheemunipatnam
(c) Chandipur
(d) Nagapattinam
About Blue Flag Certification
- This Certification is accorded by an international agency “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark” based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads i.e.
- Environmental Education and Information,
- Bathing Water Quality,
- Environment Management and Conservation and
- Safety and Services on the beaches.
- It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
- Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
- Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515 and 395, respectively.
Which are the 8 beaches?
The beaches where the International Blue Flags were hoisted are:
- Kappad (Kerala)
- Shivrajpur (Gujarat)
- Ghoghla (Diu)
- Kasarkod and
- Padubidri (Karnataka)
- Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh)
- Golden (Odisha) and
- Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands)
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
8 Indian beaches accorded ‘Blue Flag’ tag
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Blue Flag Beaches
Mains level: Not Much
Eight Indian beaches have got an International Blue Flag Certification, said Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Note the beaches and their respective states. They can be asked in the ”match the pairs” type questions.
Citation needed: *As of now, there are 13 Blue flag awarded beaches in India a/c to wikipedia. But Blue Flag website would provide exact figures (which yet to update the official numbers).
Which are these beaches?
- Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat)
- Ghoghla (Diu)
- Kasarkod [NOT Kasargod which is in Kerala] and Padubidri (Karnataka)
- Kappad (Kerala)
- Rushikonda (AP)
- Golden Beach (Odisha) and
- Radhanagar (A&N Islands)
Blue Flag Beaches
- The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an ‘eco-tourism model’ and marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, a safe and healthy environment, and sustainable development of the area.
- The certification is accorded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education.
- It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
- It has 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches, that is, (i) Environmental Education and Information (ii) Bathing Water Quality (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services.
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
[pib] “Blue Flag” Certification
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Blue Flag Certification
Mains level: Not Much
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has announced the first time eight beaches of India are recommended for the coveted International eco-label, the Blue flag certification.
Try this PYQ:
Q. At one of the places in India, if you stand on the seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the seawater recedes from the shoreline a few kilometers and comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can actually walk on the seafloor when the water recedes. This unique phenomenon is seen at:
(a) Bhavnagar
(b) Bheemunipatnam
(c) Chandipur
(d) Nagapattinam
Which are the eight beaches?
The eight beaches are Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman & Diu, Kasargod and Padubidri beach in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden beach of Odisha and Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar.
About Blue Flag Certification
- This Certification is accorded by an international agency “Foundation for Environment Education, Denmark” based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads i.e.
- Environmental Education and Information,
- Bathing Water Quality,
- Environment Management and Conservation and
- Safety and Services on the beaches.
- It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
- Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
- Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515 and 395, respectively.
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Coastal Zones Management and Regulations
Centre eases CRZ rules for ‘Blue Flag’ beaches
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CRZ norms, Blue flag certification
Mains level: Blue Flag Certification
The MoEFCC has relaxed Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules that restrict construction near beaches to help States construct infrastructure and enable them to receive ‘Blue Flag’ certification.
Why such move?
- The Blue Flag certification, however, requires beaches to create certain infrastructure — portable toilet blocks, grey water treatment plants, a solar power plant, seating facilities, CCTV surveillance and the like.
- However, India’s CRZ laws don’t allow the construction of such infrastructure on beaches and islands.
- The new order allows for some constructions subject to maintaining a minimum distance of 10 meters from HTL (High Tide Line).
Blue Flag certification
- The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an ‘eco-tourism model’ and marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, a safe and healthy environment, and sustainable development of the area.
- The certification is accorded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education.
- It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001, when South Africa joined.
- It has 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches, that is, (i) Environmental Education and Information (ii) Bathing Water Quality (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services.
Blue Flag beaches
- Japan and South Korea are the only countries in south and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
- Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515 and 395 Blue Flag beaches, respectively.
In India
- Last year, the Ministry selected 13 beaches in India to vie for the certificate.
- The earmarked beaches are — Ghoghala beach (Diu), Shivrajpur beach (Gujarat), Bhogave beach (Maharashtra), Padubidri and Kasarkod beaches (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).
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Shailesh Nayak Committee has recently relaxed norms under coastal regulation zones. It has proposed for allowing housing infrastructure and slum redevelopment activities, tourism, ports and harbor and fisheries-related activities in coastal regulation zone.
source
CRZs have been in news at times. Objections have been raised various times to broad the scope of activities that are permitted at these places.
India has a long coastal line which makes these areas important for the country. Let’s understand this thing in a better way:
- What are CRZs?
- Classification of CRZ in India
- What are the activities permitted and prohibited in these areas?
- Why are CRZs important for India?
- Objectives of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011
- Achievements of CRZ rules, 2011
- Drawbacks of CRZ rules, 2011
- Shailesh Nayak committee on review of coastal regulation zone notification
- Analysis of new recommendations
What are CRZs?
- Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) are classified as the region between the outer limits of territorial waters (12 nautical miles) and a specified inward distance (inland) from the high tide line along coasts.
- These zones are recognised as fragile ecosystems and as such are accorded protection against unregulated human activities such as construction, sand mining etc.
- As per the notification, the coastal land up to 500m from the High Tide Line (HTL) and a stage of 100m along banks of creeks, estuaries, backwater and rivers subject to tidal fluctuations, is called the Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ).
Classification of CRZ in India
For regulation of developmental activities, the coastal stretches within 500m of HTL on the landward side are classified into four categories, viz.
- Category I (CRZ-I)
- Category II (CRZ – II)
- Category III (CRZ-III)
- Category IV (CRZ-IV)
Category I (CRZ -I):
a) Areas that are ecologically sensitive and important, such as national parks/marine parks, sanctuaries, reserve forests, wild habitats, mangroves, corals/coral reefs, areas likely to be inundated due to rise in sea level consequent upon global warming and such areas as may be declared by the authorities.
b) Areas between the Low Tide Line and High Tide Line
Category II (CRZ -II):
The area that have already been developed up to or the shoreline.
Category III (CRZ -III):
Areas that are relatively undisturbed and those which do not belong to either Category I or II. These include coastal zone in the areas (developed and undeveloped) and also areas within Municipal limits or in other legally designated urban areas which are not substantially built up.
Category IV (CRZ-IV):
Coastal stretches in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and small islands, except those designated as CRZ I, CRZ II and CRZ III.
What are the activities permitted and prohibited in these areas?
CRZ I: Regulations
No new constructions shall be permitted within 500m of the HTL.
CRZ II: Regulations
- Buildings shall be permitted neither on the seaward side of the existing road or on the seaward side of the existing and proposed road
- Reconstruction of the authorized building to be permitted subject to the existing FSI/FAR norms and without change in the existing use
- The design and construction of buildings shall be consistent with the surrounding landscape and architectural style
CRZ III: Regulations
- The area up to 200m from the HTL is be earmarked as ‘No Development Zone’.
- No construction shall be permitted in this zone except for repairs of existing authorized structures not exceeding existing FSI, existing plinth area and existing density.
- However, the following uses may be permissible in this zone-agriculture, horticulture, gardens, pastures, parks, play fields, forestry and salt manufacture from sea water.
Why are CRZs important for India?
- India has a long coastline of 7516 km, ranging from Gujarat to West Bengal, and two island archipelagos (Andaman Island and Lakshadweep).
- Our coastal ecosystems provide protection from natural disasters such as floods and tsunamis.
- Coastal waters provide a source of primary livelihood to 7 million households.
- Our marine ecosystems are a treasure trove of biodiversity, which we are only beginning to discover and catalogue.
- Thus, our coastline is both a precious natural resource and an important economic asset, and we need a robust progressive framework to regulate our coast.
Objectives of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011
The main objectives of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011 were:
- To ensure livelihood security to the fishing communities and other local communities living in the coastal areas;
- To conserve and protect coastal stretches and;
- To promote development in a sustainable manner based on scientific principles, taking into account the dangers of natural hazards in the coastal areas and sea level rise due to global warming.
Achievements of CRZ rules, 2011
- It widens the definition of CRZ to include the land area from HTL to 500 m on the landward side, as well as the land area between HTL to 100 m or width of the creek, whichever is less, on the landward side along tidal influenced water bodies connected to the sea.
- The concept of a ‘hazard line’ has been introduced.
- Clearances for obtaining CRZ approval have been made time-bound. Further, for the first time, post-clearance monitoring of projects has been introduced
- Introduction of the Coastal Zone Management Plans, which will regulate coastal development activity and which are to be formulated by the State Governments or the administration of Union Territories.
- The 2011 Notification also lists out certain measures that have to be taken to prevent pollution in the coastal areas/coastal waters.
Drawbacks of CRZ rules, 2011
- Although the no-development zone of 200 metres from the HTL is reduced to 100 metres, the provision has been made applicable to “traditional coastal communities, including fisher-folk”, thereby giving the chance for increased construction on the coast and higher pressure on coastal resources
- Disallowing Special Economic Zone(“SEZ”) projects in the CRZ
- There are no restrictions for expansion of housing for rural communities in CRZ III
Shailesh Nayak committee on review of coastal regulation zone notification
The main recommendations of this new committee are:
- Need to demarcate precisely: There exists ambiguities in key baseline data, including the demarcation of high and low tide lines and the coastal zone boundary, which has affected the preparation of Coastal Zone Management Plans.
- Shift in Governance: Transferring control of development in the CRZ-II zone, the existing built-up area close to the shoreline, from the Environment Department to State Town Planning authorities, as proposed, would mark a radical shift in governance.
- Construction Activities: Proposed lightly regulated tourism in “no development zones”. Construction and other activities could be taken up in CRZ-III zones just 50 m from the high tide line in densely populated rural areas under State norms (with the responsibility to rescue and rehabilitate during natural calamities left to local authorities) could be based on an over-estimation of the capacity in such bodies.
- Pollution Control: The plan should be to identify specific areas for such activity, assess its environmental impact, demarcate the area under the State’s management plans, and fix responsibility for enforcement, particularly for pollution control.
- Make it participatory: Involving the local communities in the betterment of these areas has yet not been achieved and incorporating a community-based approach should be made a priority.
Analysis of new recommendations
The recommendation by committee has tried to establish a balance between development and coastal conservation. However there are certain areas of concern-
- The demarcation of high tide and low tide lines and coastal zone boundary affected the coastal zone management plans which are crucial for CRZ.
- The transfer of developmental control of CRZ 2 from environmental department to town planning committee encourages local participation but it may disturb the whole system of governance.
- Construction and other activities in CRZ 3 which is in the densely populated zone will hazards human settlement.
- The proposed lightly tourism activity in the “No development zone” would suffocate further biodiversity conservation.
Way ahead
The new recommendations have tried to address issues such as time-bound clearances, enforcement measures, special provisions for specific coastal stretches etc. There is a significant change in the new notification but there is always need for further improvement.