With over 100 files related to Coastal Regulation Zone violations and requests for clearances pending, Kerala has approached the Centre for the reconstitution of the Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA).
The term of the earlier committee had expired on July 22. The pending files include complaints regarding violations, requests from local fishermen for the repair of dwelling units and applications seeking clearance for construction and projects from government agencies and private builders.
The State government has written to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) twice in the recent past seeking early reconstitution of the committee. It has also forwarded a list of experts to be included in the panel, State authorities said.
“The Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority has the power to take the measures for protecting and improving the quality of the coastal environment and preventing, abating and controlling environmental pollution in areas of the State of Kerala,” according to the MoEF notification constituting the earlier committee.
The Kerala government had been facing innumerable difficulties regarding the CRZ regime in the absence of the State authority. Several projects and requests from the government and private agencies as well as individuals are pending for sanction and disposal. The absence of the committee has also impeded the filing of affidavits and conduct of cases related to CRZ issues in courts, the State government had pointed out.
The State was also peeved at the criticisms levelled against it for the failure in enforcing the coastal zone regime. Many violations go undetected and unreported in the State in the absence of the State Authority. It is a free for all situation prevailing in the State regarding the guidelines as there is no system in place for governing the rules, said a former member of the Authority.
The MoEF constitutes the State Authority by invoking provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for a term of three years. The Principal Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology Department was the Chairman of the Authority. Senior officials from Local Self-Government, Environment, Industries, Revenue and Fisheries departments, and representatives of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram; and Centre for Integrated Management of Coastal Zones, School of Marine Science of the Cochin University of Science and Technology were its members.
A few external experts were also included in the committee. Member Secretary of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, was the member secretary of the Authority.
The mandate of the Authority includes the examination of proposals for changes/modifications in classification of Coastal Regulation Zone areas and in the Coastal Zone Management Plan, inquiry into cases of alleged violation of the provisions and its review. It will also have powers to “deal with environmental issues relating to Coastal Regulation Zone which may be referred to it by the State government, the National Coastal Zone Management Authority or the Central Government.” It shall also “identify ecologically sensitive areas in the Coastal Regulation Zone, and formulate area-specific management plans for such identified areas.”
Identification of coastal areas highly vulnerable to erosion/degradation and formulation of area-specific management plans for such areas are also included the mandate of the authority.
