The Centre has suggested a slew of relaxations in the new draft of coastal norms proposed for India's islands, including those involving eco-tourism, road construction using reclamation, and storage of petroleum, chemicals and mining for the construction sector.
The draft Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) notification has been made public by the government, seeking public comments, and it will supercede the existing Island Protection Zone Notification, 2011.
The ICRZ, modified on the new CRZ notification, will apply to 10 oceanic islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and is in line with recommendations of the Shailesh Nayak committee, which was formed by the Union environment ministry to recommend changes in the CRZ and IPZ notifications of 2011.
The broad aim of the ICRZ is to conserve and protect the ecology of coastal islands, and to regulate development in these areas. It categorises the zones as ICRZ-IA, ICRZ-IB, ICRZ-II, ICRZ-III, ICRZ-IV, A and B — based on their vulnerabilities and the existing development.
For instance, the most ecologically sensitive areas fall under ICRZ-IA and that prohibits most developmental activities. But unlike the 2011 notification, the new draft will allow eco-tourism activities, laying of pipelines, construction of roads on stilts and even reclamation for roads and public utilities.
