for real estate will affect ecology, fishing, say experts Agencies
New Delhi : Opening fragile inter-tidal areas for real estate and infrastructure development would have a huge bearing on coastal ecology and livelihood from fishing, researchers said after the Environment Ministry came out with a new draft for coastal regulations.
The draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018, proposes expanding land area for development activities and tourism infrastructure, while simplifying the procedure for CRZ clearances.
Taking a critical view of the proposed rules, experts said there are two sets of problems with the new draft – the process used for framing it and how it opens up coastal spaces for infrastructure development. The draft notification is on the ministry’s website and comments have been sought from the public within 60 days.
The recently uploaded draft has evidently been drafted by “Delhi-based babus” who are “uneducated” about the sea and have never experienced its violent energy, Chennai-based writer and social activist Nityanand Jayaraman, said.
Legal research director, Centre for Policy Research-Namati Environment Justice Program, Kanchi Kohli, said the new draft rules reduces the no-development zone, opening fragile inter-tidal areas and rural areas for real estate and infrastructure development.
It also exempts areas within port limits from being no-development areas, Kohli said.