New CRZ marks Gulf of Mannar as critically vulnerable

As per the new notification published in Government of India’s Gazette Extraordinary, the CRZ would prepare Integrated Management Plan (IMP) by keeping in view the conservation and management of mangroves, needs of local communities including dispensaries, schools, public rain shelter, community toilets, roads, bridges, jetties, water facilities and the impact of sea level rise and other natural disasters.

The notification also clarifies that until the IMP is prepared for CVCA, public facilities should be permitted on a case to case basis by the Coastal Zone Management Authority.

Apart from Gulf of Mannar, the new notification directs Sundarban region of West Bengal, Gulf of Khambat and Gulf of Kutchh in Gujarat, Malvan, Achra-Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Karwar and Coondapur in Karnataka, Vembanad in Kerala, Bhaitarkanika in Odisha, Coringa, East Godavari and Krishna in Andhra Pradesh to be treated as CVCA.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had classified CRZ-I as CRZ-I A and CRZ-I B.

CRZ-I A consists of mangroves, corals, sand dunes, turtle nesting grounds and others, while CRZ-I B would fall in the area between low tide line (LTL) and high tide line (HTL). Eco-tourism activities would be permitted in CRZ-I A while ports, jetties and defence structures only would be allowed in CRZ-I B.

CRZ-II would constitute the developed land areas up to or close to the shoreline with substantial built-up and regulated construction activities for residential purposes will be allowed.CRZ-III would have relatively undisturbed areas, which do not fall under CRZ-II.

CRZ-III has been classified as CRZ-III A and CRZ-III B.

While CRZ-III A constitutes of densely populated (2,161 persons per sqkm) areas falling under 50 meters from the HTL on the landward side and should be earmarked as ‘no development zone’ (NDZ), CRZ-III B falls under 200 meters from HTL and should have less than 2,161 persons per sq km.

CRZ-III B is also an NDZ. Further, CRZ-IV has been classified as CRZ-IV A and CRZ-IV B.