NCSCM confirms only 50m Coastal Regulation Zone buffer applies to Palk Bay coastline
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
This means that development controls along the coastline could ease significantly.
Petitioner Arul Raj, a Ramanathapuram resident, sought directions to quash draft CZMP map numbers TN 44 to 60, arguing that Palk Bay was part of the sea and should therefore be subjected to a 500-metre CRZ as per the 2019 Notification.
Filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), NCSCM's submission draws on the CRZ Notification, 2019, and official hydrographic charts to classify Palk Bay as a tidal-influenced water body.
Under the notification, such water bodies attract only a 50m buffer from the High Tide Line (HTL), not the broader 500m applicable to open sea stretches.
This interpretation reaffirms that only a smaller stretch of coastal land is subject to regulation, potentially opening up more area in Ramanathapuram and Pudukkottai districts for fishing infrastructure, tourism, and livelihood-based development. "While it could unlock economic opportunities along the southern coast, it also raises the possibility of increased ecological pressure in the absence of proper safeguards," said B Raja, an environmental activist.
Following the Tribunal's direction, NCSCM conducted ground-truthing on March 15, 2025, across 20 coastal sites from Rameswaram to Manamelkudi. Scientists used handheld GPS devices to verify the presence of mangroves, salt marshes, and fisheries-related structures depicted in the draft CZMP maps.
The petitioner based his claim on light blue shading in the draft maps, interpreting it as a 500-metre CRZ zone. NCSCM clarified that the colour was a draft-level visual error—not a legal demarcation. It added that the maps would be corrected if such errors were pointed out during public consultations.
The Tribunal is scheduled to hear the matter on July 17.
Email your feedback with name and address to southpole.toi@timesofindia.com. MSID:: 121937674 413 |
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Fishermen protest real estate project near Chirala beach
1 2 3 Vijayawada: Plans to develop a private real estate venture along the coast near Chirala have sparked a major controversy, with local fishermen strongly opposing the closure of the sea mouth. The agitated fishing community has threatened large-scale protests if the developers do not withdraw. The fishermen allege that the real estate firm pressurised officials to obtain land documents in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms. The Lok Ayukta has also directed the district collector and the chairman of district-level CRZ committee to investigate the allegations and safeguard the coastline. Fishermen from Vijayalakshmipuram, Adavipallepalem, Danavayipeta, Kripanagaram, Tsunami colony, Ramapuram, Vadarevu, Chinna Barapa, Pedda Barapa, and Ramachandrapuram depend entirely on fishing for their livelihoods. Around 12,000 people from these 10 villages rely on the sea mouth (or C-mouth) for decades, operating approximately 1,500 boats from the natural jetty formed near the Eepurupalem straight cut. During heavy rains, agricultural run-off from upstream flows through the Eepurupalem straight cut, passing through Adavi Pallepalem and curving at the coast before merging into the sea. This naturally formed sea mouth spans over a kilometre. Last week, fishermen were shocked to find the sea mouth and adjacent sand dunes destroyed. They have accused a Guntur-based real estate firm of causing the damage in blatant violation of CRZ rules. The firm allegedly started construction of a resort by laying roads and obstructing the natural water flow with boulders, narrowing the sea mouth. "They have obstructed natural flow of water with large boulders, reducing the nearly a kilometre-wide sea mouth to just four metres by filling up the area. The district level committee under the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority (APCZMA) has remained silent," alleged social activist Nagarjuna Reddy. In a petition, he alleged that the developers used heavy machinery and hundreds of tractors to flatten sand dunes over a kilometre, fill aqua ponds on patta land to encroach upon the coastline. District collector JV Murali said the administration would verify the records and act based on facts.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Green nod for sand mining in Mandovi challenged in NGT
Panaji: The Goa River Sand Protectors Network has challenged the environmental clearance (EC) granted for sand mining by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority in the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The group has currently challenged one EC granted on Feb 3, 2025, and informed the tribunal that it would be filing separate appeals against all the remaining 11 ECs as well. The network has sought the quashing of the EC. The directorate of mines and geology was granted permission for the extraction of sand in Zone 4 (near Goa Shipbuilding, Khandola in Ponda) in the Mandovi in a proposed area of 4.5 hectares. The EC allows the extraction of 1,000 cubic metres per annum per permit by traditional (manual) methods. The main ground on which the EC dated Feb 3 was assailed in the appeal is that it was granted in violation of the provisions given in paragraph 3, sub-clause (x) of the CRZ Notification, 2011, which prohibits the mining of sand in the complete CRZ area. The appeal told the NGT that 'the area in question, where the sand mining is being done, lies in CRZ IV-B, which is evident from the field inspection report of the Mandovi, wherein this fact has been recorded very distinctly that the area falls in CRZ IV-B (water body) as per CZMP 2011.' The NGT has admitted the appeal. The matter will be heard next on Aug 13.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
NGT orders CCMC to clear Vellalore legacy waste by 2025 end
COIMBATORE: The National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone) has issued a stern directive to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to clear the massive backlog of legacy waste at the Vellalore dumpyard by the end of 2025, calling for urgent action on a 'war footing.' The directive came during a hearing held on June 23, presided over by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana. Expressing dissatisfaction with the corporation's progress, the tribunal criticized the continued suffering of residents in Vellalore, who have for years endured foul odour, mosquito menace, and groundwater pollution caused by the accumulated waste. According to the corporation, over 7.9 lakh metric tonnes of waste have been dumped at the site. However, a recent assessment by Anna University's Environmental Research Centre pegged the figure at 9.4 lakh metric tonnes. Despite initiating bio-mining efforts in February 2021, the tribunal questioned how meaningful progress could be made with only three trommels in operation. They noted that at this pace, it could take years to complete the work. The segregation of solid waste has also dropped sharply, from 36% in November 2023 to 15% in May 2025, even as waste processing improved from 64% to 85%. The tribunal recommended the immediate addition of trommels or the deployment of high-capacity machinery like the Power Screen Warrior 1200 to ramp up daily waste processing to at least 10,000 tonnes. The corporation has been instructed to submit a comprehensive, time-bound action plan to a committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has also been tasked with conducting monthly inspections and submitting reports. The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on August 7, 2025.
