High-level meet on coastal security in Goa tomorrow

[Hindustani78]

The Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Dr. Harsh Vardhan being briefed about the Coastal Management by the Director of NCSCM, Dr. R. Ramesh, at the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), at Anna University, in Chennai on July 15, 2017. The Minister of Finance and Fisheries, Tamil Nadu, Shri D. Jayakumar, the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Ajay Narayan Jha and other dignitaries are also seen.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
01-August, 2017 15:59 IST
Coastal Defence Security

The coastal security issues are regularly reviewed at appropriate levels with National committee on Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS), being the apex body for inter-ministerial and inter-agency coordination. A coastal security mechanism in the form of a three-tiered cover comprising Indian Navy (IN), Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and State Marine Police with demarcated areas of responsibility has been put in place. Coastal Security Exercises are being conducted in all coastal States and Union Territories to assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms and to address gaps.

Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) which includes radars has been established along the coastline. Under Phase-I of this project 45 radars have been made operational. Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard have been provided with adequate powers under the Coast Guard Act, 1978 and other Acts / Rules to enable them to face various challenges effectively.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to Smt Rajani Patil in Rajya Sabha today.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
03-August, 2017 17:59 IST
Shri Rajnath Singh chairs review meeting with DGs of CAPFs

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired a review meeting with the Directors-General (DGs) of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) here today. The Ministers of State for Home Affairs Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Shri Kiren Rijiju were also present in the meeting.

During the meeting, various issues related to the CAPF personnel and policies were discussed.The issues discussed included housing issues related to CAPF personnel, recruitment and filling up of vacancies, shortage of doctors in CAPFs, proposal for raising new Central Armed Police Force viz. Coastal Border Police Force (CBPF), setting up of CAPFs Institute of Medical Sciences, cadre review of the forces, review of BSF Air Wing and issues related to procurement of items by CAPFs.

Shri Rajnath Singh expressed happiness on the progress achieved by CAPFs on different issues discussed in the meeting and said that efforts shall be made to complete the pending projects in a timely manner. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs will look into the matters raised by the forces and try to do best possible in each case. Keeping in view the need of having young personnel on field job, the Home Minister asked the CAPFs to take necessary steps in this regard.

The Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi, DGs of CAPFs (CRPF, CISF, BSF, AR, SSB, ITBP, NSG) and senior officers of Ministry of Home Affairs were present in the meeting.

***

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
03-August, 2017 17:26 IST
National Highways along Coastline


The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has taken up detailed review of National Highways network with a view to develop road connectivity to border areas, development of coastal roads including road connectivity for non-major ports, improvement in the efficiency of National Corridors, development of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors and Feeder Routes along with integration with Sagarmala, etc., under proposed Bharatmala Pariyojana. Total length of National Highways (NHs) along the coastline, State/Union Territory (UT) wise is as follows:-



Sl.No.
State/Union Territory (UT)
Total Length of NHs along coastline in km

1.
Andhra Pradesh
974

2.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
25

3.
Daman & Diu
22

4.
Goa
262

5.
Gujarat
940

6.
Karnataka
298

7.
Kerala
692

8.
Maharashtra
493

9.
Odisha
437

10.
Puducherry
41

11.
Tamil Nadu
154

12.
West Bengal
7


This information was given by Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...-exposed-in-special-drive/article19571560.ece

Under watch: The Marine Enforcement wing has realised around ₹8 lakh through its special drive against errant boat operators.

Over 15 boats seized by Marine Enforcement wing so far for various offences
KOCHI: Last week, officials of the Marine Enforcement wing rescued eight fishermen on board a fishing vessel that sank south west off Kochi after catching fire.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the boat had no fire extinguishers on board to address an emergency. The boat operator incurred heavy losses due to the accident.

“The fire had erupted from a kerosene stove. Since there were no fire extinguishers, the people on board could not prevent it from spreading to the diesel tank,” said K.M. Sajeev, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Marine Enforcement.

The episode, according to the officer, was just one among several violations being reported from the fishing boat craft scenario in Kochi after the trawl ban was lifted a month ago. Officials have so far seized over 15 fishing boats from Beypore to Neendakara, including eight from Vypeen, for various offences including juvenile fishing, shore trawling, and operating without registration and licence. “In one instance, we even came across a Karnataka-registered boat operating out of Vypeen, using the colour code stipulated for boats from Kerala. The boat was immediately impounded and released after charging a user fee of ₹25,000,” the DySP said. The boats, impounded during a special drive launched by the department, were released after imposing hefty fines on their owners and auctioning off the fish stocks on board. The Marine Enforcement wing has so far realised around ₹8 lakh through the special drive, and it is expected to go up in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, official sources said some boats had even failed to meet the seaworthiness criteria.

An investigation report prepared by K. Padmakumar, Additional Director General of Police, last year had compared the fishing boat scenario in Kochi to “an absolutely unregulated public home”.

Noting that several unregistered fishing boats were plying through the Kochi backwaters on a daily basis, the report had called for urgent measures to check the trend.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Hazard Line is an advanced warning system that helps to not only prevent deaths but also save crores in property loss.
india Updated: Oct 12, 2017 20:56 IST

Malavika Vyawahare
Hindustan Times, New Delhi
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...hazard-line/story-4C4wPXrQKcwg2XKwZmphiJ.html

India was supposed to get a Hazard Line two years ago. The line demarcates the coastal area that is at high risk from flooding, coastal erosion and emerging threats like sea level rise. It would help the 13 coastal states and Union Territories be better prepared for disasters like cyclones and storm surges.

Over 170 million people live in coastal areas of the country.

In the 2011 Coastal Zone Regulation, the environment ministry incorporated a provision not just to demarcate the high tide line and low tide lines but also a Hazard Line. The high tide line forms a baseline from where the extent of the coastal zones to be protected is measured.

Under the current rules, 500m from the high tide line towards the landward side is the zone where the government can regulate all sorts of activities from construction to mining in the interest of protecting the coastal environment. However, under the 2011 notification, if the Hazard Line lies beyond the high tide line, the former becomes the operational baseline.

As part of a World Bank-funded project launched in 2010, the ministry was to map the Hazard Line with the help of the Survey of India. By 2015, the country was to get a line which would tell policy makers and public how far inland the risk of coastal hazards spread. The project was delayed and a new deadline of December 31, 2017, has been set.

The Hazard Line is an advanced warning system that helps to not only prevent deaths but also save crores in property loss. “It provides scientific basis for futuristic planning to maximise economic benefits and minimise ecological impacts,” a World Bank spokesperson said.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.orissapost.com/orissa-wb-to-hold-first-ever-joint-coastal-security-exercise/

Orissa, WB to hold first-ever joint coastal security exercise
November 11 2017

Bhubaneswar: The governments of Orissa and neighbouring West Bengal will soon organise a joint
security exercise named as ‘Sagar Kavach’ to further tighten the existing coastal security mechanism along the 630 km long coastline.

This was informed by Orissa’s Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Asit Tripathy after attending a meeting here.

“Sagar Kavach security exercise is a realistic drill to check the efficacy of the security parameters and preparedness of various security forces like the Indian Navy, Marine police force, Indian Coast Guard (ICG), forest department, fisheries and district administration,” Tripathy told reporters.

Stating that Orissa for the first time will have a joint security drill along with West Bengal, Tripathy said, “We are going to organise a simulated terror attack named ‘red force’ at a random place along Orissa or West Bengal coast and check how effective our marine policing is. The exercise will be held over two days within a week,” he said.
The participants in the drill will be personnel from the Indian Navy, Coast Guard at Paradip and Haldia, 18 marine police stations in Orissa and 12 police stations in West Bengal.

This apart, the teams of Customs department and port officials, fisheries department officials will also take part in the drill. Earlier, the coastal security exercises were made by the Indian Navy and ICG.

“The drill is to revaluate the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) mechanisms. All stakeholders who attended the meeting were made aware about exercise settings and other SOPs. The coast guard, and all the security forces, even the district administrations have been very helpful and proactive towards coastal security. After the drill, we will review if there are any loopholes,” West Bengal Coast Guard Commander MA Warsi said.

Since Mumbai attack from the sea front, coastal security is being tightened and every year each of the coastal states is having two security exercises.

 

[Hindustani78]

A Sri Lankan fibreglass fishing boat which was found washed ashore on Othathalai coast near Dhanushkodi on Monday.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...d-ashore-near-dhanushkodi/article20383388.ece

Officials in Talaimannar had complained about the boat missing
RAMANATHAPURAM

The Marine Police of the Coastal Security Group have seized a Sri Lankan fibreglass fishing boat which was found washed ashore on Othathalai coast near Dhanushkodi on Monday.

On being alerted by local people, a Marine Police team, led by Inspector Rajarajan, seized the boat and brought it to Rameswaram Marine Police station. The boat measured 18 feet in length and six feet in width, the police said.

The registration number found on the boat indicated that it could belong to some fishermen of Talaimannar in the northern coast of Sri Lanka. A set of fishing net was found in the engineless boat.

The boat could have drifted to the Indian coast after its anchor got removed, the police said. The Marine Police have registered a case in this regard.

Meanwhile, R. Kennedy, Inspector, Q Branch police, said there was nothing suspicious in the seizure. “It appears to be a fishing boat and there is no substance to suspect sabotage or smuggling,” he said.

Officials in Talaimannar had complained about the boat missing since Monday last, he said. Only a portion of the boat was visible when it was drifted towards the Indian coast, he said.

As Rameswaram fishermen were on a strike last week, it did not come to the notice of anyone till it reached the shore, he said.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...g-at-rameswaram-fishermen/article20443304.ece
Ramanathapuram , November 14, 2017 14:13 IST
Updated: November 14, 2017 14:13 IST

The marine police of the Coastal Security Group registered First Information Report (FIR) against the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Tuesday, based on a complaint from a Rameswaram fisherman alleging that he was fired at even as the ICG denied opening fire.

Alleging that the ICG opened fire at them when they were fishing on the high seas on Monday, two injured fishermen, K. Pichai Arokiyadass and S Johnson, produced a 0.22 cm diameter aluminium bullet as proof of firing. The marine police took possession of the bullet.

In his complaint, Arokiyadass said that he, along with five other fishermen were fishing on the high seas, about four nautical miles from Olaikuda in the shore in Indian waters around 3 15 pm when personnel from the ICG vessel - 77 asked them to stop. When they kept moving stating that they had laid the net and could not stop, the coast guard personnel opened fire at them, they alleged.

The ICG personnel gave some ointment to be applied on the wounds and left after obtaining signature from Sandro, the driver of the trawler in a prepared statement. The fishermen were not aware of the content of the statement, he added.

After they stopped the trawler, four ICG personnel got into their boat and beat them with stick and iron rods for not stopping the trawler. They asked whether they knew Hindi and when the fishermen replied in the negative, the coast guard personnel beat them again and asked them to learn Hindi, he said.

The fishermen were treated at Government hospital in Rameswaram on their return to the shore on Tuesday morning. The bullet, after piercing through the left forehand of Arokiyadass, hit the left shoulder of Johnson, the fishermen alleged. Dr Meena Kumari who treated the fishermen described the wounds as ‘gun shot injury’ in her report. “The two fishermen suffered simple injuries and their conditions are stable,” she told The Hindu.

A case has been registered invoking Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC and Section 27(1) of the Arms Act, 1959.

Meanwhile, leaders of fishermen associations condemned the ICG for opening fire on the fishermen and demanded action against those involved in the incident. They have decided to abstain from fishing for a day on Wednesday and stage a demonstration in front of the Rameswaram bus stand on Thursday to register their protest.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
14-November, 2017 17:02 IST
Denial of alleged firing on fishermen in Palk Bay

Coast Guard vessel on patrol off IMBL in the Palk Bay was routinely investigating fishing boat namely ‘Jehovah Jireh ’Regn’ No. IND-TN-09-MM-221 at 1440 hours on November 13, 2017 while engaged in pair trawling, which is not permitted in the waters of Tamil Nadu.

On sighting the approaching Coast Guard ship, the fishing boat ‘Jehovah Jireh’ fled away from the scene leaving its nets behind in the water and did not stop despite repeated caution by the Coast Guard ship. During the chase, the boat had also rammed into the Coast Guard ship. After a chase of 50 minutes, the boat was finally stopped and investigated and also cautioned by the Coast Guard ship to stop for checks whenever called upon by the Coast Guard.

The stopping of the fishing boat ‘Jehovah Jireh’ and subsequent investigations were carried out in a peaceful manner as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the Indian Coast Guard. There was no use of force or any firing by the Indian Coast Guard.

The attributability of injury and/or bruises, if any, on the fishermen of the fishing boat ‘Jehovah Jireh’ by the Coast Guard are wholly denied as the investigations were undertaken in a peaceful manner as per the SOP.



*****

 

[Hindustani78]

RAMANATHAPURAM, November 16, 2017 00:18 IST
Updated: November 16, 2017 12:36 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...meswaram-keep-off-the-sea/article20461579.ece

Mechanised fishing boats anchored at the Rameswaram fishing jetty.


Over 700 trawlers anchored at the fishing jetty as fisherfolk strike work demanding action against Coast Guard personnel who indulged in attack
About 3,000 Rameswaram fishermen struck work on Wednesday, registering their protest against the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for allegedly opening fire and injuring two fishermen when they were fishing on the high seas in the Palk Bay on Monday.

More than 700 trawlers were anchored at the Rameswaram fishing jetty as the fishermen resorted to a one-day token strike demanding action against the Coast Guard personnel, who allegedly opened fire on fishermen and for beating up five fishermen after boarding the trawler. “We have decided to observe a day’s strike and stage demonstration on Thursday to draw the attention of the authorities to put an end to such attacks by the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy,” fishermen leader P. Sesu Raja said.

It was very disturbing that the ICG, which was supposed to protect the Indian fishermen, has resorted to firing for the simple reason that the fishermen failed to heed to their caution and stop the boat, he said.

Condemning the alleged firing and beating up of the fishermen, U. Arulanandham, president of the Alliance for the Release of Innocent Fishermen (ARIF), and M. Ilango, president of the National Fisherfolk Forum, demanded a high-level enquiry into the incident by the Defence Ministry.

Pointing that Coast Guard officials made contradictory statements — an official stating that they never opened fire and another saying that they fired warning shots — the fishermen leaders said this clearly showed the Coast Guard tried to cover up the incident but were forced to reveal the truth after the injured fishermen produced the bullet and a doctor certified the wounds as gun shot injuries. The Coast Guard and the Navy had attacked the fishermen in the past but no action was taken against the personnel. “This time, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should order a high-level inquiry and fix responsibility,” the leaders demanded.

If the fishermen were involved in the banned pair trawling, the Coast Guard could have noted down the registration number and reported the matter to the Fisheries Department, they said. This was a clear case of human rights violation, Mr Ilango said and demanded the NHRC to initiate suo motu action.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Environment and Forests
22-December, 2017 19:05 IST
Blue Flag Beach Certificate

“With prime objective of enhancing standards of cleanliness, upkeep and basic amenities at beaches, this Ministry has launched a pilot project for beach cleanup and development, also striving for the “Blue Flag” Certification for such identified beaches. Under the pilot programme, each of the coastal State/UT was requested to identify/nominate a beach, to be funded through the ongoing Integrated Coastal Management Programme. All the coastal States have nominated the pilot beaches in their receptive territories including Goa. Formal nominations are, however, awaited from the coastal UTs viz., Daman & Diu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar”.

This information was given by Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Mahesh Sharma, in reply to a written question in Lok Sabha today.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Shipping
08-February, 2018 17:04 IST
14 Coastal Economic Zones being developed under Sagarmala

For promoting port-led industrialization, 14 Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs) covering all the Maritime States and Union Territories have been identified as part of the National Perspective Plan under the SagarmalaProgramme. The Perspective Plans for all 14 CEZs have been prepared in consultation with relevant State Governments and Central Ministries. The list of 14 proposed CEZs identified in the National Perspective Plan for Sagarmalais as follows:-

S. No.
Proposed location for CEZ
State
Districts Covered
Potential Industries

1
Kachch
Gujarat
Kachchh
Petrochemicals, Cement, Furniture

2
Saurashtra
Gujarat
Junagarh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Ahmedabad
Apparel, Automotive

3
Suryapur
Gujarat
Bharuch, Surat, Navsari, Valsad
Marine Clusters

4
North Konkan
Maharashtra
Nashik, Thane, Mumbai, Pune, Raigarh
Power, Electronics, Apparel

5
South Konkan
Maharashtra, Goa
Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, North Goa, South Goa
Refining, Steel, Food Processing

6
DakshinKanara
Karnataka
Udupi, Dakshin Kannada, Kodagu, Mysore
Petrochemicals

7
Malabar
Kerala
Ernakulam, Alappuzha Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram
Furniture

8
Mannar
Tamil Nadu
Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi
Apparel, Refining

9
Poompuhar
Tamil Nadu
Cuddalore, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Tiruchirappallu, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam
Leather Processing, Power

10
VCIC South
Tamil Nadu
Thiruvallur, Chennai, Kancheepuram
Steel, Petrochemicals, Electronics, Shipbuilding

11
VCIC Central
Andhra Pradesh
Chittoor, Nellore
Electronics

12
VCIC North
Andhra Pradesh
Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam
Food Processing, Petrochemicals, Cement, Apparel

13
Kalinga
Odisha
Puri, Jagatsinghapur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajapur, Bhadrak
Petrochemicals, Marine Processing

14
Gaud
West Bengal
PurbaMedinipur, South twenty Parganas
Leather Processing



Port-led industrialization through the proposed development of CEZ under Sagarmala Programme are expected to provide impetus to the “Make in India” initiative of the Government of India, that will aid in creation of jobs in India.Finalization of institutional framework and roadmap for the development of CEZ based on the recommendations of Inter-MinisterialCommittee has been taken up.

This information was given by Union Minister of State for Shipping and Finance Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

****

 

[Hindustani78]

Vice Admiral A.R. Karve taking at the technology exhibition held as part of ‘ICONS-2018’ at Karukutty on Saturday.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...rotect-economic-interests/article22847667.ece

Indian economy largely dependent on maritime resources: Vice Admiral Karve
Programmes for the modernisation of maritime surveillance systems and defence capability building should focus on strengthening India’s economic interests and protection of maritime sovereignty. It is, therefore, essential that military and economic applications complement each other, Vice Admiral A.R. Karve, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of the Southern Naval Command, said.

Addressing a three-day international conference on sonar systems and sensors, ICONS-2018, organised by the DRDO’s Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) at Karukutty near here on Saturday, he said that the Indian economy was largely dependent on maritime resources. “We are now in the era of integrated monitoring of water, preserving our status as a global economic player without compromising security,” he added.

Vice Admiral Karve said that most Indian naval ships and submarines were equipped with indigenous systems developed by the DRDO and similar organisations.

“In my experience on the sonar side, the performance of Indian sonars is found to be on par with any advanced foreign sonars available today,” he added.

The Vice Admiral also brought out the requirement of specific and generic training simulators for training the naval community so as to make them capable of operating all classes of weapons and detection systems at sea without fail.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
05-March, 2018 15:04 IST
Measures to enhance Coastal Security

Since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008, inputs from various intelligence agencies indicate the continued likelihood of such attacks. However, presently, there is no specific input pertaining to an increased threat to the country from the sea routes.

The National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS) is a national-level forum and an apex review mechanism for maritime and coastal security, in which all concerned ministries and government agencies are represented. The last meeting of NCSMCS was held on 20th October 2017.

Electronic surveillance mechanism has been augmented by provisioning of an electronic / radar chain called Coastal Surveillance Network (CSN) comprising of Chain of Static Sensors having radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS), Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT), day / night cameras, communication systems. These measures assist in developing Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through interconnecting 51 Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard stations, which has been established to develop a Common Operational Picture. Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) radars in ports also facilitate surveillance of port areas.


The Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and State Marine Police, as a three tiered cover, along with other agencies such as Customs and Port Trusts, patrol the Maritime Zones of India, islands and adjacent seas, using ships and aircraft to detect and check infiltration through the sea-routes. Since ‘26/11’ the Government has taken a number of measures to strengthen coastal, offshore and maritime security. Broadly, these measures include capacity augmentation of maritime security agencies for surveillance and patrol of the nation’s maritime zones; enhanced technical surveillance of coastal and offshore areas; establishment of mechanisms for inter-agency coordination; increased regulation of activities in the maritime zones; as also integration of the fishing and coastal communities. Besides, State-wise Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for coordination among various agencies on coastal security issues have been formulated. Coastal Security Exercises are being conducted regularly by Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard to assess the effectiveness of existing mechanisms and to address gaps.


This information was given by RakshaRajyaMantriDr. Subhash Bhamre in a written reply to ShrimatiRajaniPatilin Rajya Sabha today.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
19-April, 2018 17:35 IST
Environment Ministry frames new draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has framed a new draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018. The draft notification has been uploaded on the Ministry’s website on April 18, 2018. Comments have been sought from the public within 60 days of the uploading of the draft Notification

.

The salient features of the draft CRZ Notification, 2018 and changes with respect to CRZ Notification, 2011, are as under:-



(i) The High Tide Line (HTL) has been demarcated by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) and shall be reckoned as a universal standard for the HTL for all regulatory purposes under the CRZ Notification, 2018.

(ii) Hazard line mapping has also been carried out by Survey of India. The Hazard Line has, however, been delinked from the CRZ regulatory regime and shall be used only as a tool for Disaster Management and planning of adaptive and mitigation measures.

(iii) CRZ limits on land along the tidal influenced water bodies has been proposed to be reduced from 100 meters or the width of the creek, whichever is less, to 50 meters or the width of the creek, whichever is less.

(iv) A No Development Zone (NDZ) of 20 meters has been proposed to be stipulated for all Islands close to the main land coast and for all Backwater Islands in the main land.

(v) For CRZ-III areas, two separate categories have been proposed viz.:

1. CRZ-III A – Densely populated rural areas with a population density of 2161 per square kilometre as per 2011 Census. Such areas shall have an NDZ of 50 meters from the HTL as against 200 meters from the HTL stipulated in the CRZ Notification, 2011.
2. CRZ-III B – Rural areas with population density of below 2161 per square kilometre as per 2011 Census. Such areas shall continue to have an NDZ of 200 meters from the HTL.

(vi) The procedure for CRZ clearances has been simplified and delegations have been made at various levels for recommending/according CRZ clearances to the projects/activities. Only such projects/activities, which are located in the CRZ-I & IV areas, shall be dealt with for CRZ clearance by the MoEF&CC. For all other project activities located in CRZ-II/III areas, CRZ clearance shall be considered at the level of the CZMA.

(vii) As per CRZ, 2011 Notification, for CRZ-II areas, Floor Space Index (FSI) or the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) had been frozen at 1991 Development Control Regulation (DCR) levels. In the Draft CRZ, 2018 Notification, it has been proposed to de-freeze the same and permit FSI for construction projects, as prevailing on the date of the new Notification.

(viii) Temporary tourism facilities such as shacks, toilet blocks, change rooms, drinking water facilities etc. have been proposed in Beaches. Such temporary tourism facilities are also proposed to be permissible in the No Development Zone (NDZ) of the CRZ-III areas.

(ix) Wherever there is a National or State Level Highway passing through the NDZ in CRZ-III areas, temporary tourism facilities have been proposed to be taken up on the seaward site of the roads. On the landward side of such roads in the NDZ, Resorts/Hotels and other tourism facilities have also been proposed to be permitted subject to the extant regulations of the concerned State.

(x) Regulated limestone mining is proposed to be permitted, subject to strict Environmental safeguards, in areas adequately above the height of HTL, based on recommendations of reputed National Institutes in the Mining field.



The relaxations/amendment proposed in the CRZ Notification, 2018 shall, however, come into force only after the respective Coastal Zone Management Programme (CZMP) framed to the CRZ Notification, 2011 have been revised/updated by the States/UTs, as per the provisions of the CRZ, 2018 Notification and approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change.

The Ministry had constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Shailesh Nayak to examine the various issues and concerns of Coastal States/UTs and various other stakeholders and to recommend appropriate changes in the CRZ Notification, 2011. The report submitted by Dr. Shailesh Nayak has been examined in the Ministry and consultations have been held with various stakeholders in this regard.

The MoEF&CC had received representations from various coastal states/UTs, besides other stakeholders, for a comprehensive review of the provisions of the CRZ Notification, 2011, particularly related to the management and conservation of marine and coastal eco-systems, development in coastal areas, eco-tourism, livelihood option and sustainable development of coastal communities etc.

The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification was last reviewed and issued in 2011, with periodic amendments to some clauses.



***