Minister for Tourism, Environment and Ecology B.S. Anand Singh said here on Saturday that attempts will be made to get a unit of Chennai-based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which is the nodal agency for approving coastal management projects, in Mangaluru.
Speaking to presspersons after holding a meeting, the Minister said that the unit can be opened in association with the National Institute of Technology – Karnataka (NIT-K) in Surathkal.
He said that beach, island, and riverine tourism has not picked up along the 320-km coastal belt in the State on the lines of Goa. If these are to thrive, certain relaxations to the coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) rules are required. The draft map of the coastal zone management plan which is ready and with the State Government will have to be approved by the NCSCM.
Efforts will be made to get clearance to the draft map by the NCSCM within two months. At the same time, efforts will also be made to get a unit of the NCSCM in Mangaluru or to identify the NIT-K as the agency to clear the projects. Mr. Singh said he, along with officials, will visit Chennai in this regard soon.
If the unit is opened in Mangaluru then there will be no need to frequently approach the Chennai unit to get clearance for the projects. The Minister said that though ₹10 crore is available to take up tourism projects on the Sasihitlu beach the NCSCM approval for the project is awaited.
Earlier at a meeting, the Minister said that the snanaghatta development project near Dharmasthala has been completed and it will be inaugurated shortly. Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath and Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharat Shetty were present.
