CHENNAI: A special bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has stalled construction of all hard structures, including groynes and seawalls, across India’s coast and recommended that State governments explore more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions. The bench observed that hard structures would only transfer the problem of shoreline change until and unless a holistic study is undertaken.
The order was passed by a six-member bench headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel.
“No further hard structures for erosion control be raised or constructed. The copy of this order be forward to all the coastals States/UTs and Union environment ministry for compliance,” the bench said while disposing of an application filed by petitioner CH Balamohan.
The tribunal also set aside the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance granted for construction of 19 groynes from Ennore to Ernavoorkuppam in Madhavaram taluk of Tiruvallur district being executed by the Public Works Department (PWD).
The tribunal has approved the report of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) recommending preparation of the Shoreline Management Plan which should be environmentally compatible. A few years back, the tribunal directed all States and Union Territories to prepare an Integrated Shoreline Management Plan, which is still being prepared.
Although a CRZ notification was issued in January, 2019, mandating preparation of Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs), several States have not finalised it. The tribunal said this is a gross violation of a Supreme Court order. “We direct chief secretaries of coastal States/UTs to finalise the CZMP and get them approved by the Union environment ministry within two months. The approved CZMP shall contain the parameters as listed in the CRZ 2019 notification including high, medium and low erosion stretches. We further direct preparation/updation of their Shoreline Management Plans for such identified eroding stretches shown in the CZMPs within six months,” the tribunal said.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Department, told TNIE that Tamil Nadu’s Shoreline Management Plan has been readied and was forwarded to the Union environment ministry for approval. “We are also not in favour of hard structures. The solutions will be site specific. In some erosion stretches, there can be soft solutions like beach nourishment, sand bypassing, or offshore submerged reefs like what NIOT did in Puducherry. In some areas, it would be a hybrid approach,” she said.