CHENNAI: The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Union Environment Ministry and the Tamil Nadu government to conduct a technical study to revise the classification of 'flawed' Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas within six months.
Many non-urban areas were wrongly classified as CRZ-II (urban areas) in the Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs) because of which illegal constructions are coming up near the sea endangering the fragile coastal ecosystem.
The NGT bench of judicial member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member K Satyagopal passed the order in a case filed by A Anthony Raj Williams, a Chennai resident, who alleged that two real estate firms DS Properties and Indira Projects and Developments Pvt Ltd developed a residential layout consisting of 545 plots in Marakkanam in Villupuram claiming the property was towards the landward side of an existing road.
Although the area was undeveloped, it was classified as CRZ-II instead of CRZ-III.
According to CRZ notification of 2011, CRZ-II constitutes developed land areas up to or close to the shoreline within existing municipal limits or in other existing legally designated urban areas that are substantially endowed with drainage, approach roads and other infrastructural facilities. However, the Thalangadu village in Marakkanam where the residential project was planned doesn’t meet the CRZ-II specifications.
NGT questions CZMA's power to grant clearance
These discrepancies were proved during the hearing and the green bench cancelled the CRZ clearance granted to the project in 2019.
The bench said "Pending revision of CZMPs, the district and State Coastal Zone Management Authorities are directed to examine all the pending proposals in so called CRZ-II areas, not merely relying on the approved CZMP, but by inspecting the area physically...," the order had said.
The tribunal even questioned the authority of CZMA in issuing CRZ clearances for projects measuring more than 20,000 sq m.
As per rules, such projects attract provisions of EIA Notification, 2006, and require prior composite environment clearance and CRZ clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority or the Union environment ministry.
'Non-urban zones classified as CRZ -II'
Many non-urban areas were wrongly classified as CRZ-II (urban areas) in the Coastal Zone Management Plans because of which constructions are coming up near the sea endangering fragile coastal ecosystem