KOCHI: In a huge relief to residents of coastal areas, the Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change on Monday approved the draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Management Plan submitted by Kerala based on the 2019 Coastal Zone Regulation notification. The new plan will reduce the no development zone in urban areas. As many as five corporations, 36 municipalities and 66 town panchayats will benefit from the relaxations.
However, green activists have opposed the dilution of restrictions alleging that it will lead to a construction spree in the coastal areas jeopardising the ecology.
As per the 2011 CRZ notification, Kerala had five corporations, 36 municipalities and 245 grama panchayats under CRZ. The corporations and municipal areas having tidal influence were categorised under CRZ II, with a no development zone of 50m. The 245 grama panchayats were categorised under CRZ III, where development activities were restricted to a distance of 200m from the high tide line.
Under the new management plan, 66 of the 245 panchayats have been legally designated as urban areas and categorised as town panchayats under CRZ II, reducing the restriction zone from 200m to 50m.
The new management plan has divided coastal areas and panchayats around inland water bodies into CRZ IIIA and CRZ IIIB based on density of population. If a panchayat designated under CRZ III has a population density of 2,161 per sq km, it will be categorised under CRZ III A and the no development zone will be only 50m. The cardinal difference between the CRZ notifications of 2011 and 2019 is the reduction of no development zone.
Curbs relaxed in Coastal Regulation Zone II, IIIA categories
Earlier, the no development zone for CRZ II and CRZ IIIA was 100m from the high tide line, but now it has been reduced to 50m or the width of the waterbody.
If there is an approved structure or a road within the no development zone of the waterbody in areas designated under CRZ II, development activities can be undertaken on the landward side of the structure irrespective of the distance.
For example, if there is a road 20m away from the high tide line, the land owners can take up construction activities on the landward side of the road.
CRZ under new management plan
CRZ I A: Ecologically sensitive areas which play a role in maintaining the integrity of the coast. Mangroves with 1,000m area will have a 50m buffer zone.
CRZ IB: Intertidal zone between Low Tide Line and High Tide Line, which is a no development zone
CRZ II: Developed Land areas up to or close to the shore line within existing municipal limits or legally designated urban areas. Area up to 50m from high tide line or approved structure to be earmarked no development zone
CRZ III A: Areas with population density of over 2,161 person per sq km. No development zone of 50m from high tide line
CRZ III B: All areas with population density less than 2,161 person per sq km. No development zone up to 200m from high tide line.
New town panchayats
T’Puram: 9
Alappuzha: 2
Ernakulam: 10
Thrissur: 1
Kozhikode: 22
Malappuram: 4
Kannur: 11
Kasaragod: 7