NDZ along Kerala coast will be significantly reduced giving room for constructions

The coastal belt of Kerala is likely to witness a flurry of construction activities which may further deteriorate the quality of the fragile ecosystem.

With the notification of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 2018, the No Development Zone (NDZ) along the Kerala coast will be significantly reduced giving room for constructions for tourism facilities towards the seaward side of the coast.

According to available information, the notification was approved by the Central government on Friday.

In CRZ 3A areas, which are the densely populated rural areas with a population density of 2,161 per square kilometre as per 2011 Census, the NDZ has been reduced to 50 metres from the High Tide Line against the earlier 200 metres. Of the 246 grama panchayats of Kerala, 244 fall under the CRZ 3A category.

In rural areas with population density of below 2,161 per square kilometre as per 2011, the NDZ will remain as 200 meters from the HTL.

The tourism sector stands to gain much from the amendments as temporary tourism facilities such as shacks, toilet blocks, change rooms, drinking water facilities are now permissible in the NDZ of the CRZ 3 and they can now set up such facilities from 10 m from the HTL.

Coastal ecosystem specialities and fishermen have already sounded caution against the proposals as they apprehended that the fragile coastal belt may be further battered by the construction boom. The new regulation has ignored the principles of conservation of coastal ecosystem and protection and protection of livelihood options of fishermen, they said.

According to B. Madhusoodana Kurup, a former Vice Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, the new notification has undermined the very foundations of the CRZ regime.

It was the principles of conservation of coastal ecosystem and biological resources, protection of livelihood of fishermen and protection of rights of the coastal dwelling communities that guided the CRZ notification in 1991. The new set of regulations have overridden these principles and shifted the emphasis to development and construction activities, said Dr. Kurup, who was a member of the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA).

K.K. Ramachandran, a former member secretary of the authority, pointed out that the NDZ had been reduced to 14 sq km from the existing 54 sq km in seaside area of the State. It was further worse in case of rivers, tidal influenced water bodies and islands as the NDZ has been reduced to 115 sq km from 228 sq km. The reduction in NDZ would mean that more areas are now open to construction and development activities, said Dr. Ramachandran.

The National Fish Workers Forum, an umbrella organisation of 10 organisations, has decried the amendments and criticised the government for selling off the coast to corporate and business houses. The amendments would eventually eliminate the fishing communities from the coast, said Narendra R. Patil and T. Peter, the leaders of the organisation.