Ministry of Environment and Forests Announces Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2011 and Island Protection Zone, 2011 - PIB Release

Article Courtesy: Press Information Bureau

The Minister of State for Environment & Forests, Independent Charge Shri Jairam Ramesh today issued the following statement in a Press Conference in New Delhi. In the Press Conference, he announced Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 and Island Protection Zone (IPZ) Notification, 2011.

Following is the full text of Minister’s statement:

“After a eighteen-month long process, the CRZ Notification, 2011 is being formally notified and published today. This replaces the CRZ Notification, 1991. In addition, for the very first time an Island Protection Zone Notification, 2011 is being notified and published covering Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

Both these new Notifications reconcile three objectives:

1. Protection of livelihoods of traditional fisherfolk communities
2. Preservation of coastal ecology
3. Promotion of economic activity that have necessarily to be located in coastal regions.

Apart from codifying the 25 amendments that were made to CRZ Notification, 1991 between 1991-2009, the CRZ Notification, 2011 has several new features.

• It has special provisions for Goa, Kerala, Greater Mumbai and critically vulnerable coastal areas (CVCAs) like Sunderban Mangrove Area, Chilka and Bhitarkanika (Orissa), Gulf of Khambat and Gulf of Kutchh (Gujarat), Malwan (Maharashtra), Karwar and Kundapur (Karnataka), Vembanad (Kerala), Coringa, East Godavari and Krishna Delta (Andhra Pardesh), Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu).
• Clear procedures for obtaining CRZ approval with time-lines have been stipulated along with post-clearance monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
• Water area upto 12 nautical miles in the sea and the entire water area of a tidal water body such as creek, river, estuary, etc would now be included in the CRZ areas, without imposing any restrictions of fishing activities.
• The concept of a Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), to be prepared with the fullest involvement and participation of local communities, has been introduced.

Click here to read the entire article