COSTAL DISTRICT COMMITEE ERNAKULAM First Interim Report OCTOBER 2019 First Interim Report Contents Chapter 1: - Introduction ............................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Background .............................................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Objectives of the Study and Methodology to be Adopted ............................................... 3 Methodology to be adopted ......................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Time frame .............................................................................................................................. 3 1.4 Scope and Limitations ............................................................................................................ 4 Scope................................................................................................................................................. 4 Limitations........................................................................................................................................ 4 Chapter 2: - Brief Description about CRZ ................................................................................... 5 2.1 Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ) Notification ......................................................................... 5 2.2 CRZ classification based on CRZ Notification, 2011 ........................................................... 5 2.3 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) in Ernakulam District ....................................................... 7 Chapter 3: - CRZ Notification violations in the district ............................................................ 12 3.1 Maradu Municipality and Kochi Corporation .................................................................... 12 3.2 Details of CRZ violations reported from LSGIs ................................................................... 12 3.3 Analysis and Summary of findings....................................................................................... 15 3.4 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 16 List of Figures Figure 1. The CRZ Classifications based on Notification ........................................................... 5 Figure 2. CRZ I- Ecologically sensitive areas ............................................................................. 6 Figure 3. CRZ II- Urban areas .................................................................................................... 6 Figure 4. CRZ III- Rural areas ..................................................................................................... 7 Figure 5. Ernakulam District ..................................................................................................... 7 Figure 6. Location map showing an overview of the distribution of CRZ areas among the local bodies ..................................................................................................................................... 11 List of Tables Table 1. Time frame .................................................................................................................. 3 Table 2. List of LSGI’s in Ernakulam District based on CZMP 1996, 2011................................. 8 Table 3. Number of CRZ Violations reported by LSGI's .......................................................... 12 Coastal District Committee, Ernakulam Page 1 First Interim Report Chapter 1: - Introduction The enactment of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of 1991 in India certainly set the beginning of the State’s Involvement in the conservation of our coasts. This environmental concern drew from the environmental Protection Act, 1986. India has implemented coastal regulatory frameworks Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification to regulate the developmental activities and to protect the fragile coastal environment. These regulations are implemented to ensure livelihood security to the fisher communities and local communities, living in the coastal areas, to conserve and protect coastal stretches, its unique environment and its marine area and to promote development through sustainable manner based on scientific principles taking into account the dangers of natural hazards in the coastal areas, sea level rise due to global warming, and declared the coastal stretches of the country and the water area up to its territorial water limit. 1.1 Background Following the Supreme Court order to demolish four apartments constructed in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms at Maradu municipality, as per the orders dated 23.09.2019 in MA1808-1809/12019 in C.A. No.4784-4785/2019, The Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority Vs Maradu Municipality. Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has directed the Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala to prepare the list of violations against C.R.Z Notification across the State. The government has thus constituted the Coastal District Committees as per G.O.(Rt) No. 98/2019/Envt. Dated 16/10/2019, 17/10/2019 in ten coastal Districts (Kasaragode, Kannur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram) with the following members. 1. District Collector (Chairman) 2. District Town Planner (Convener) 3. Secretary of the concerned local body (Member) 4. Village Officer of the concerned coastal village (Member) 5. Any other member nominated by District Collector. The Government have directed to submit the first Interim report of each Coastal District Committee to Chief Secretary on 31st October 2019. The second Interim Report shall be submitted on or before 30th November 2019. The third Interim Report shall be submitted Coastal District Committee, Ernakulam Page 2 First Interim Report on or before 20th December 2019. The comments/suggestions/opinions on the reports submitted by District Committee will be collected from public by the concerned District Collectors by 3l st December 2019. The same shall be incorporated and the Final CRZ Violation Report shall be submitted to Government on or before 12th January 2020. 1.2 Objectives of the Study and Methodology to be Adopted a) To prepare a database of the buildings violating the CRZ notification across the district. Methodology to be adopted (1). Proforma covering all the important data which can be retrieved for each local body is prepared. (2). Action plan for the identification of CRZ violation is to be prepared by the LSGI’s. (3). Report of CRZ violation in the prescribed proforma and joint site inspection to be done by the secretary of the concerned LSGI and village officers. (4). 10% of the reported violations are to be checked and verified for the CRZ violations by the convener and the secretary of the concerned LSGI. (5). Third report on number of CRZ violations in the district is to be submitted to chairman for further action. (6). Final report of CRZ violations in the district is to be submitted as per government order. 1.3 Time frame Table 1. Time frame Time schedule Date of submission Date of submission to the convener for to Govt. by convener Proforma to be filled and submitted by 1ST Interim 31st October 2019 the respective local body on or before – report 26th October 2019 Joint inspection to be completed before 20/11/2019 2nd Interim Report to be submitted by respective local 30th Nov 2019 report body on or before 20/11/2019 3rd Interim Report to be submitted by respective local 20th Dec 2019 report body on or before 10/12/2019 The details to be collected from the 25 Grama panchayths, 6 municipalities and Kochi Corporation under the purview of CRZ in the district are to be tabulated in a proforma which is send by the convener to the LSGI’s. Coastal District Committee, Ernakulam Page 3 First Interim Report First meeting of Coastal District Committee was convened on 26-10-2019. Minutes is enclosed as Annexure 2. 1.4 Scope and Limitations Scope To prepare a database of all CRZ violations across the district. Identification and grouping of different types of buildings in the CRZ areas. Limitations KCZMA representative is not a member of the committee this leads to lack of technical knowhow in assessing the violations in CRZ areas. Technical knowhow of the corresponding local bodies & village officers are limited. Staff strength is a major concern. Practical difficulties in submitting accurate reports within the timeframe The new local bodies and new areas in the existing local bodies which come under the CRZ areas as per the new approved CZMP 2011 (Approval letter by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, GoI letter number F. No. 12-7/2018-IA-III dated 28/02/2019) face problems in identifying the CRZ violation buildings due to lack of clarity in assessing the CRZ violations. There exists some technical difficulties for gramapanchayats in assessing the CRZ violations in these rural areas before the enactment of Kerala Panchayat Building rules (KPBR), 2011. Identification within the timeframe is a complex procedure. Lack of clarity in the funding of the Coastal District Committee. Coastal District Committee, Ernakulam Page 4 First Interim Report Chapter 2: - Brief Description about CRZ 2.1 Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ) Notification In accordance with Sections 3(1) and 3(2)(v) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Central Government has declared