A coalition of non-governmental organisations – Forum for Better Visakha (FBV) – has strongly objected to the proposal to reclassify CRZ in the case of Yendada revenue village in Visakhapatnam.
In a letter to the ex-officio Chairman of National Coastal Zone Management Authority T. Chatterjee, it said that local authorities submitted a proposal to reclassify S. No. 105 of Yendada village close to the city into CRZ- II. The proposal was based on erroneous grounds and fit to be rejected, it added.
Giving reasons for their contention, FBV convener E.A.S. Sarma alleged that the district Collector had, for his own reasons, did not disclose the facts to the State government and the National Coastal Zone Management Authority while submitting the proposals.
“Survey No. 105 of Yendada has a total extent of 158 acres, out of which 52 acres is in CRZ-I and 75 acres in CRZ-III. This area comes under undeveloped area, as there is no infrastructure, including water supply and drainage and other utility services. The proposal to reclassify these lands to CRZ-II is ‘ab initio' incorrect and violates the CRZ notifications,” the letter said. The district authorities were trying to reclassify many such areas in CRZ-I & III to CRZ-II to permit illegal construction activity under pressure from the builders.
HC order
The Andhra Pradesh High Court in WP No. 8177/07 pronounced an order on July 6, 2007, directing the district Collector to identify all CRZ violations and take urgent corrective action.
The order remains unimplemented and even the MoEF asked the States to identify all such violations within four months and report. Instead of identifying the violations, the authorities tried to meddle with the CRZ classification to help the builders and industry, the FBV alleged.
Existing systems in the States were lax and they remained pliable, giving scope for large-scale CRZ violations. There were many Adarsh Housing type violations in Visakhapatnam, the FBV alleged and hoped that the NCZMA would heed to this representation and act.
