The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 1991 has been replaced recently in January 2011 by the latest CRZ notification of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
Both these new notifications reconcile three objectives – (i) protection of livelihoods of traditional fisherfolk communities; (ii) preservation of coastal ecology; and (iii) promotion of economic activity that have necessarily to be located in coastal regions.
Coastal Regulation Zone notification 2011
Apart from codifying the 25 amendments that were made to CRZ notification between 1991-2009, the CRZ notification (2011) has several new features –
Some of the prohibited activities within the CRZ as per the present notification include -
The notification includes the following annexures –
The salient points of the draft Coastal Regulation Zone notification circulated in 2010 as well its critique by the Kerala Swathantra Malsya Thozhilali Federation can be viewed at the India Water Portal here
Island Protection Zone Notification 2011
Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) and Integrated Islands Management Plans (IIMPs) are being set up for the environmental management of the Islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep. The coastal areas of Andaman and Nicobar islands shall be classified as -
Traditional Coastal and Marine Fisherfolk (Protection of Rights) Act 2009
The Ministry of Environment and Forests has released the draft of the Traditional Coastal and Marine Fisherfolk (Protection of Rights) Act 2009 for discussion in January 2011 before it is tabled in the Parliament. The act seeks to recognize the rights of the fishing community living along the coastline of the country.
The salient points of the draft act are –