CMZ Act: More discussions sought

As the last date for giving feedback on the draft of newly proposed Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) Act ended on August 31, the Centre for Environment Education (CEE), which was entrusted with the task of getting reaction from the ten states, has readied the draft based on the reaction from the general public. The general opinion that came out of the feedback was that the CMZ Act in its present form could not be taken forward without any grass root-level discussions with the fishing community and the panchayaths. The CMZ Act is vague and liable to misinterpretation to the detriment of both the  fisher community and the environment, was the general reaction. Around 260 people attended the meeting which included politicians, social activists, fishermen, environmentalists, scientists, legal expert and the general public. The law like CMZ Act should not be uniformly enforced across the coastal states as each of which has its own distinct identity and hence requires a different a kind of plan for its development and protection. There is a strong apprehension among most of the people that the rights of the local self-government and sometimes even the state government were being transgressed upon or diluted as large investment projects would require the endorsement or approval of the Union Ministry.But the strong issue of debate is the lack of clarity in the setback line. While the concept of the setback line was because of Tsunami, indigenous knowledge of the coastal community should be taken into account. With the climatic, changes, data related to various factors will vary considerably; hence instead of fixing the setback line, many suggested that it be reviewed periodically and should not be come a rigid line for the fisher community. The message was clear. Tourism, industry, mining and SEZs should not be promoted at the cost of the local population. Scrap CMZ and implement the earlier Coastal Regulation Zone without diluting it. Punish violators of the CZR and do not regularize them. Ensure protection of the coastal environment, marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems through stringent measures.

 

The New Indian Express, 19^th September 2008