Sets six-month deadline for action plan to tackle coastal pollution; use of construction debris for land filling to be phased out in a year.
Tightening the green noose around the city’s development ambitions, the Centre has asked the state government to phase out the use of construction debris and fly ash for land filling within a year.
It has also set a two-year deadline for doing away with the practice of discharging untreated waste and effluents from industries and human settlements, arguing that it poses environmental hazards.
The civic administration statistics suggest that the city generates 8,500 metric tonne of garbage every day, of which 2,200 metric tonne is construction debris.
Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh, in a bid to encourage environment-friendly development, has listed a number of do’s and don’ts for state governments.
He has asked states to allocate an adequate budget for a comprehensive action plan to deal with pollution of coastal areas in a time-bound manner, which needs to be approved by the Centre within six months.
In a candid admission, the Centre has said, “The seashore is highly vulnerable to increased pollution because of untreated effluents and dumping of construction debris.” The new coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms also make it mandatory for all solid waste disposal sites to be relocated outside the CRZ within a year.
While advocating a comprehensive plan for treatment of sewerage within a year, the Centre has said there would be no restrictions on traditional fishing and allied activities of local communities.
Under the new coastal regulation zones management norms, the Centre has made land reclamation more difficult.
However, the state governments have been given reprieve as reclamation of land along the seashore for sealinks and roads on stilts, coastal police stations and helipad for defence and security purposes has been exempted.
But shorelines classified as ‘high eroding sites’ will not be allowed to undertake any port projects for the next two years. The new norms also bar reclamation for setting up hotels, entertainment activities and shopping centres along these sites.
On matters related to special economic zones, the advisory states, “Only those projects which are non-polluting industries in the field of information technology and other service industries, desalination plants, beach resorts, and related recreational facilities essential for promotion of the SEZ as approved in the master plan would we permitted.”
The Union ministry of environment has taken initiative to put in place mechanism to control flooding due to tides. In its report, it said, “The hazard line along the coast will be mapped by the ministry through Survey of India will be demarcated taking into account tide, waves and sea level rise and shoreline changes.”
To depict flooding due to tides, waves and sea level rise in the next 50 and 100 years, the contour mapping of the coastline will be carried from at 0.5m up to 7km from high tide and land ward side, and the shoreline changes will be compared to the previous satellite images.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}