Crucial Ramanathapuram wetland goes missing from draft CZMP

The wetland that came under CRZ-1, the highest protection accorded by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011, has been left out from the draft CZMP that was put out by the state government seeking comments from public, pointed out Pooja Kumar, researcher with Coastal Resource Centre (CRC), terming the draft a faulty exercise. 

“The Pambari Taruvani wetland has salt pans, salt marsh and mud flats in Valinokkam in Ramanathapuram. What was accorded the highest level of protection in the CZMP of 1996 has been deleted in the revised draft,” said the researcher, adding that these deletions open crucial wetlands for developmental projects by misrepresenting the reality. 

Similarly, CRZ zones have been changed in Chennai as well, causing outrage among fisherfolk and activists. 

“Until Neelankarai, it was CRZ 2 (urban areas) but beyond that till Mamallapuram, it comes under CRZ-3 which is a no-developmental zone. But there are so many violations already happening. Making this as an urban area in the draft CZMP legitimises the violations,” said Pooja, adding that the CZMP exercise was arbitrary and incomplete. 

R Srinivasan, a fisherman from Ennore, said that such misinterpretation would impact the livelihood of local communities. 

-“Initially, these industrial units will promise employment to the local people. But once the plants come up, the locals will be edged out, their livelihoods depending on waterbodies destroyed, leaving them struggling,” he said. 

Worried that this would have a serious impact on their livelihood, fishing communities here have warned of launching agitations seeking to withdraw the present draft.