MoEF asks states to identify, punish CRZ violators

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) today directed the states and Union Territories (UTs) to identify violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification of 1991 and take action within four months.

The ministry told states they could not justify inaction on the ground that the violations took place without their knowledge as latest technologies like satellite imagery and information technology were available to detect violations of CRZ norms and also of Coastal Management Plans approved under them.

These violations were punishable under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986.

The ministry also directed them to upload the relevant details of the identified violations, including the action taken on the violations on their respective website, every fortnight.

Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh had recently recommended the demolition of the controversial Adarsh society in Mumbai, meant for wives of Kargil war heroes, for violating the CRZ Notification of 1991.

MoEF said the National Coastal Zone Management Authority would review the action taken by the state and UT Coastal Zone Management authorities and apprise it periodically.

The ministry made it clear that violations of the CRZ could not be condoned on the ground that the new CRZ had been notified on January 6, 2011, “unless otherwise explicitly provided in these two notifications”.

Ramesh had observed that in case of scam involving the Adarsh society, would not be absolved of its obligation to follow the CRZ Notification, 1991. The violations took place when the notification was in place. He maintained that even though the new notification had been released, violations that took place in the past would not be condoned.