KENDRAPARA: Bhitarkanika National Park has been declared Odisha’s first Critically Vulnerable Coastal Area (CVCA) by the Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry.
Fishermen, forest dwellers and environmentalists welcomed the Ministry’s decision at a public hearing on Coastal Zone Management Plan draft, organised by the district administration and Forest department on Saturday.
The Ministry, in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, had accorded the tag to Bhitarkanika in order to protect its critical coastal environment and address problems faced by local communities.
Apart from Bhitarkanika, the country’s largest mangrove forest at Sundarban in West Bengal, Gulf of Khambat and Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat, Malvan, Achra- Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Karwar and Coondapur in Karnataka, Vembanad in Kerala, Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu, Coringa, East Godavari and Krishna in Andhra Pradesh were declared CVCAs, said DFO of Bhitarkanika National Park Bikash Ranjan Dash.
The Union Government had declared certain stretches in the country as Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) in 1991 under Section - 3 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Later, several State Governments and Union Territory administrations had urged it to address concerns related to the coastal environment and sustainable development with respect to the CRZ notification, 2011. This had prompted the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to seek comments and suggestions from authorities concerned on April 18, 2018.
After receiving the suggestions, the Ministry issued a notification last year and amended the CRZ notification of 1991. Previously, the 100-metre area from the High Tide Line of tidal rivers and creeks was treated as CRZ. But it was later reduced to 50 metre. This was supported by people residing in coastal areas.
“In the public hearing, a few fishermen and prawn gheri owners demanded publication of proper CRZ maps. We told them that Odisha Space Application Centre (OSAC) is working on it,” said the DFO.
Kaliprasan Nayak, a retired teacher of Rajkanika demanded to de-notify some villages from the national park area owing to their location.
A few prawn farmers from Rajkanika and Rajnagar said although they had registered their farms under Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) and Rules, 2005, these are being demolished by the officials.
Coast protection
The CVCA tag was accorded to Bhitarkanika to protect its critical coastal environment.
With this, area within 50 metre of High Tide Line will now be treated as CRZ.
Fishermen have demanded publication of proper CRZ maps.