CRAZY VIOLATIONS!

The tsunami has forced the government to re-evaluate the CRZ rules and its implications for India's 5,680 kilometre-long coastline.

India is probably the only country in the world that has legislation in place to protect the entire coastline of the country. And it is not only the actual coastline that is protected but also the land between the high tide line (HTL) and the low tide line (LTL) as well as the land extending to 500 meters from the highest HTL.

Briefly, the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification stipulates that the coastal zone should be divided into four categories: CRZ I is defined as
(i) areas that are ecologically sensitive and important such as national parks/marine parks, sanctuaries, reserve forests, wildlife habitats, mangroves, corals/coral reefs, areas close to breeding and spawning grounds of fish and other marine life, areas of outstanding natural beauty, historical/heritage areas, areas rich in genetic diversity, areas likely to be inundated due to rise in sea level consequent upon global warming and such other areas as may be declared by the central government or the concerned authorities at the state/ union territory level from time to time;
(ii) area between the low tide line and the high tide line.

It is now clear that violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) played a major role in the loss of human lives and property. Any reconstruction and rehabilatation shall have to take care of both the ecological and peoples livelihood needs.