Pushed to the brink in the pursuit of growth and development, Mumbai’s shoreline has found an advocate from an unexpected quarter recently.

‘Special consideration’

A 15-member Rajya Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation took special note of changes suggested by the State Government under the Draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018. The changes include, as a “special consideration”, a 50-metre buffer instead of the existing 500-metre belt for Mumbai’s shoreline.

The committee, under the chairmanship of Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy, took “special stock” of 10 clauses put up for change under the draft CRZ notification by the Maharashtra government earlier this year.

“We have explained our views on why it is necessary to reduce the buffer to 50 metres; the reasons mainly being shortage of land and high-density development along the sea front in Mumbai,” said a senior bureaucrat, who attended the committee meeting last week.

The committee wound up its visit to the city with several suggestions for the newly-designed coastal, waste management and afforestation rules.

Other clauses crucial to Mumbai’s development too were scrutinised, including tidal influence over water bodies (creeks, bays and estuaries), designation of Coastal Economic Zones under CRZ-2, applicability of Floor Space Index (FSI) under the CRZ.

It also examined the implementation of waste management rules in Mumbai’s ports. “More than 3,000 vessels are docked in the area controlled by the Mumbai Port Trust [MbPT], and the committee wanted to check what measures are being implemented to manage waste spread by vessels, cargo, canteen and offices of the port,” said an official.

MbPT officials have informed the committee that they are in the process of preparing a detailed project report for waste management, being carried out by M/s InfraEn, Bengaluru.

The ports currently generate 50 metric tonnes (mt) of waste every day but do not have a waste management mechanism in place, the committee was told. “We have informed the committee of our initiatives, including inviting an Expression of Interest for a waste management facility at Wadala. We have already disposed of 14.28 mt of e-waste during 2017,” said a senior official at the MbPT.

Report being prepared

The committee, constituted in 1964 as an instrument for exercising parliamentary control over executive action, will present its report to the Rajya Sabha with its recommendations on new legalisations proposed by Bengaluru, Chennai, Lucknow and Mumbai. Its principal function is to scrutinise the various rules, regulations and bye-laws, and see if they are in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

As per Rajya Sabha rules, the committee is allowed to seek clarifications from the relevant ministry or department. Documents are to be placed before the committee, indicating the points referred to and the ministry’s comments. If necessary, the ministry’s representatives are required to appear before the committee.