In the past, the Indian government has introduced several measures to regulate the coastal stretches along with the country. These have mostly been by way of amending the Environment Protection Act and introducing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notifications.
Different iterations of these CRZ Notifications along with their amendments have been made over the years for developing lands in coastal regions, all while considering environmental protection and climate change.
On 1 November 2021, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) introduced a draft notification to amend the CRZ Notification, 2019.
Some of the noteworthy changes introduced relate to exemptions given to oil and natural gas companies in applying for prior CRZ clearances in certain activities. This means any development, production and all related facilities to oil and natural gas would be exempted from applying for prior coastal regulation clearance.
The amendment also allows for the retention of temporary structures like shacks throughout the year on certain conditions. In the states of Goa and Maharashtra, such structures are put up between September and May.
Watch this short video to understand some of these provisions of the draft notification:
The MoEFCC has invited comments from the public on this draft notification. You can participate and give feedback on this amendment, which will be taken into consideration by the Ministry before the final version of the same is passed.
You can view a simple summary of this draft notification and give your feedback on Civis, a citizen engagement platform that serves as a bridge between citizens and the government.
(Written by Shonottra Kumar, Senior Associate for Communications and Outreach, Civis.Vote)
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