The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests’ Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification triggered heated argument at the fishermen’s grievance day meeting held at the Collectorate here on Friday.
Representatives of fishermen demanded a minimum of 90 days to discuss the salient features of the notification and the new development proposed in coastal areas.
The CRZ Notification was formulated in 1991 to protect and manage the coastal zones and certain amendments were made in 2011. As per this notification, all development activities proposed to be executed in the coastal areas for every five years should be notified along with detailed drawings and public hearing should be conducted by the District Collectors to know the coastal population’s understanding about the new proposals and their opinion about the proposed development activities to be carried out in the places where the fisherfolk reside.
As a public hearing on some of the proposals under this notification has been scheduled for December 10, the fishermen opposed it saying that no proper intimation had been given to them.
“The fishermen don’t know anything about the development activities to be carried out in their areas as no such information has been shared with them,” complained Johnson, secretary of the Tuticorin North Country Boat Fishermen Association.
He said before conducting the public hearing, the district administration should provide all information about the proposed development activities and give them three months’ time to discuss the issues.
Responding to it, officials of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board said all information about the proposed development activities had been kept for public reference in 17 places, including panchayat union offices in the coastal areas and the Tuticorin Corporation. Moreover, advertisements were given in the dailies in this connection, they added.
Collector M. Ravikumar said a meeting would be organised on Saturday wherein the fishermen’s representatives would be explained the coastal zone development proposals, and the Fisheries Department officials would explain them to the people in the coastal hamlets in a couple of days.
Even as the fishermen representatives argued that two days would not be sufficient, the officials said no more time could be given.
The fishermen’s representatives said they would announce their next course of action soon.
