New draft CRZ plan for coastal K’taka ready

Mangaluru: The new draft plan for the implementation of the “Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification – 2019,” to affect the three coastal districts of the State, has now been completed and is expected to be made public in a month.

In January 2019 the central government had issued the “CRZ Notification – 2019.” The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has said that these regulations should be implemented in the near future. However, the plan for these regulations was not released.

It was reported that works on the plan were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the regulations are implemented as per the new plans it will help coastal tourism and fisheries. While the present CRZ is restricted to 100 meters from rivers, the new notification restricts it to only 50 metres, an official informed.

Opinions and objections will be invited from the general public from the three coastal districts of the State at public hearings to be chaired by the Deputy Commissioners.

The district administration will then submit a report to the State government after reviewing objections to the draft plan. The State government will send the report to the Centre after reviewing it which will then approve it. The whole process could take upto six months to complete.