CHENNAI: The State Coastal Zone Management Authority is in the process of finalising the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), after the previous version was found to contain errors and omissions. However, two fishermen representatives – K Saravanan and R S Bharathi – who are members of the Chennai District Coastal Zone Management Authority, claimed that fishermen are being excluded from the process.
Earlier, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the Department of Environment and Climate Change to gather the details of fishing zones, fish breeding areas, village boundaries, community properties and the like from the Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare to finalise the plan.
As per the official records available with the TNIE, the then chief secretary on July 9 chaired a meeting to finalise the draft CZMP, instructing the environment department director to obtain remarks on the ‘Draft CZMP 2019’ by two weeks from all attending departments. The work is nearing completion.
K Saravanan, who is also the petitioner in the NGT case, told TNIE that the State Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Department of Environment refused to share information on the draft CZMP sought under the RTI, citing ongoing process. “Even the comments of different departments are not shared,” he added.
Bharati said he was told by the fisheries assistant director that the draft CZMP was confidential. “We are members of the district coastal zone management authority and if fishermen representatives are not told what corrections are being made, the same errors that had happened in the past will creep in again.
We have been fighting to include the long-term housing plan for fishermen in the CZMP, which is mandated under the CRZ Notification, 2019. However, there is no information on whether it is being added or not. Fishermen in none of the 14 coastal districts are consulted,” he said. The Chennai district coastal zone management authority, constituted this January, is yet to hold a single meeting, he alleged.
When contacted, the officials said all the lacunae highlighted by the fishermen were considered. An official said they would seek permission from the NGT on September 4 to publish the draft CZMP for public comments and objections.