Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms (Mint)

• Mains Paper 2:Polity 
• Prelims level: Coastal Regulation Zone
• Mains level: Provisions Under CRZ Norms, 2018

Context:

• The illegal apartment complexes in Maradu, Kerala were razed by controlled implosion, marking the
• completion of the demolition drive of the waterfront high rises. 
• The razing of the four luxury apartmentswas ordered by the SC in May 2019, for breaching CRZ norms. The court had called the illegalconstructions a colossal loss to the environment.

Provisions Under CRZ Norms, 2018:

• In India, the CRZ Rules govern human andindustrial activity close to the coastline, inorder to protect the fragile ecosystems nearthe sea. Under these rules, the regulationzone has been defined as the area up to
• 500 meters from the high-tide line.
• These norms restrict certain kinds ofactivities like large constructions, settingup of new industries, storage or disposal ofhazardous material, mining, reclamationand bunding within a certain distance from
• the coastline.
• The restrictions depend on criteria suchas the population of the area, the ecologicalsensitivity, the distance from the shore and whether the area had been designated as a natural parkor wildlife zone.
• The 2018 Rules have a no-development zone of 20 meter for all islands close to the mainland coast
• and for all backwater islands in the mainland.
• For the CRZ-III (Rural) areas, two separate categories have been stipulated. In the denselypopulated rural areas (CRZ-IIIA) with a population density of 2,161 per sq. km as per the 2011Census, the no-development zone is 50 m from the high-tide level. CRZ-IIIB category (rural areaswith population density below 2,161 per sq km) areas continue to have a no-development zoneextending up to 200 m from the high-tide line.
• While the CRZ Rules are made by the Union Environment Ministry, implementation is to be ensured by state governments through their Coastal Zone Management Authorities.

Criticism of CRZ Norms:

• The CRZ rules dilutes the letter and spirit of enforcing an Integrated coastal zone management plan to safeguard the coast and interest of fishing communities.
• The environmentalists had alleged that the notification will open up fragile intertidal areas to real estate agents.
• Other experts say that the rules have been framed with the intent to favour large-scale industry at the cost of fishing communities.
• Under the rules, big hotels, restaurants, houses, coastal highways and small and large port facilities can now be built closer to the shoreline. Increased coastal tourism translates into furtherdestruction of lagoons, marshland and other coastal ecosystems and their services.
• The consideration of frequent weather-related coastal vulnerabilities has been omitted in the CRZ norms, 2018. As has moved the concept of vulnerability and the hazard line from being at the heart of the regulatory mechanism to an optional appendage in the law.

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) "Other monitored jurisdictions" is the formal name for:
(a) FATF black list
(b) FATF grey list
(c) FATF white list
(d) FATF Red list

Ans: B
Mains Questions:
Q.1) Recently, after the direction of Supreme Court (SC), four luxury apartments were demolishedfor breaching Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms 2018. In this light discuss the provisionsunder these norms and their criticism.