Pages From Cmz Violation Studyby Thomas Kocherry

8/6/2019 Pages From Cmz Violation Studyby Thomas Kocherry

1/5

MAPPING THE EXTENT OF COASTAL

REGULATION ZONE VIOLATIONSOF THE INDIAN COAST

REPORT

Prepared by

D. Nandakumar & M. Muralikrishna

For

National Fishworkers Forum

Valiathura, Thiruvananthapuram 695 008


2/5


3/5

CONTENTS

Forward

Acknowledgements

List of Tables

List of Figures

Chapter 1 Introduction 16

Chapter 2 Coastal Zone Management The Peoples Initiative 719

Chapter 3 The Comments of the MoEF of the CZMPs of Each State 1934

Chapter 4 Analysis of the Violations at State Level 3550

Chapter 5 Violations of Centrally Governed Mega Projects 5158

Chapter 6 Field Observations and Comments 5966

Chapter 7 Summary and Conclusion 6769

References

Appendix I CRZ Notification and the Amendments

Appendix II Checklist


4/5

21-11-1998

FORWARD

The National Fishworkers Forum (NFF) takes pride in looking back at the significant event;

the Kanyakumari March of 1989. It was an environmental march with a slogan Protect Water/

Protect Life. For the first time, the NFF raised the issue of the pollution of the water bodies all

over the coasts of India. The various problems caused by Industrial pollution, oil pollution, sew-

age pollution and other destructions due to dredging and reclamations were raised. The organic

link between the sea, the estuaries, the lakes and rivers were highlighted. The CRZ Notification

of 1991 was definitely a positive legal response to this outcry. The thirteen prohibitions in the

pronouncement have been radical enough to stop some of the causes of destructions to begin

with. However, the very judgement of the Supreme Court clearly shows that neither the coastal

states nor the Government of India took any steps to implement the CRZ Notification. Only the

Supreme Court judgement succeeded to force the State apparatus into operation.

This significant judgment emphasizes the customary rights of the coastal communities. Yet,

as the judgement is sometimes interpreted by the local governments, the working fishermen are

prevented from constructing houses in the CRZ. This was used by some political parties, who

actually ventilated the grievances of developers, industrialists and the tourism lobby, to demand

for an amendment. They did this even before acknowledging that the CRZ Notification was by

and large an important step in the right direction. Because of the non-commitment of some StateGovernments to the execution of the Notification, these cries were made excuses for not enact-

ing control. This has resulted in continuation of the violations of the CRZ.

The NFF wanted to know the extent of these violations and decided to launch into this exer-

cise and because the assistance offered by D. Nandakumar and MuraliKrishna of Trivandrum

who generously trained the volunteers and conducted the entire study, this exercise was possi-

ble. Dr. N.D. Chchaya from Gujarat also lend his advice and assistance. We are deeply indebted

to them. We also thank the volunteers who undertook this task.

Harekrishna Debnath R.K. Patil

(Chairperson) (General Secretary)


5/5

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work, even if incomplete for various reasons, has been possible because of the assist-

ance of numerous people who collaborated unstintingly because of their interest and commit-

ment to this particular issue. We thank each one profusely but do not mention each of them by

name except for RAMESH MASANI, a social worker in Gujarat was one who spontaneously

responded to the call of the mapping exercise. Although he had no idea regarding this issue, he

got intensely involved when he understood how CRZ violations affected the lives and livelihood

of coastal communities. Sadly, he died in a car accident right at the start of the fieldwork. We

cannot help recalling his enthusiasm and devotion to involve himself in peoples problem.

Our special thanks to Nalini Nayak, the National Committee member of NFF, for, without

her excellent co-ordination and relentless effort, this exercise would not have been possible.

And we thank T. Radhakrishnan, GAIA, Trivandrum whose moral and physical support

went all the way throughout the exercise and in bringing out this report with its GIS compo-

nent.

MuraliKrishna. M D. Nandakumar

Gaia Info Systems, Divakaramandiram, Dept. of Geography

Ayurveda College West Lane, University College

Trivandrum-695001. Trivandrum-695034

Documents

Pages From Cmz Violation Studyby Thomas Kocherry