Coasts to breathe easy as environment ministry gets strict

Beautiful coastlines across India, which were losing their
identity due to environmental abuse by various industries and fishing mafias,
may breathe easy as the environment ministry has started a process for identifying
and punishing violators under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification (CRZ),
1991.

The ministry has directed the coastal zone management
authorities of all states and union territories to identify violations under
CRZ as well as approved coastal-zone management plans, both by end-May. The authorities will
have to put up the identified violations and actions taken on their respective
websites on a fortnightly basis.

The environment minister wants to address the problem of
ineffective monitoring of coastal areas resulting in violations of CRZ
1991. This stricter face of the environment ministry will directly impact
businesses in coastal areas with high tourist and housing activities, such as
Goa and Mumbai.

At present, Goa is the only state to have conducted a
satellite-based assessment. The authorities have already identified nearly
6,000 violations in the state.