logo
55 cases of CRZ violations recorded in 2 years in DK

55 cases of CRZ violations recorded in 2 years in DK

Time of India14-05-2025
Mangaluru: Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations in Dakshina Kannada have emerged as a serious environmental issue over the past few years. In two years, at least 55 cases of CRZ violations were reported in Dakshina Kannada, particularly along riverbanks and the seashore.According to officials, one of the major challenges in curbing these violations is the tendency of local bodies to grant permission for constructing homestays and guest houses without considering CRZ restrictions.
"The High Tide Line (HTL) serves as a crucial reference point for demarcating the CRZ, an area along the coastline where developments are strictly regulated to safeguard the coastal environment. For coastal stretches, the CRZ extends 500m from the sea and 50m from rivers. However, over the years, there has been a noticeable shift in many parts of the coastline, with the shoreline gradually receding. As a result, residents living near the shore often observe that the sea encroached further inland, and what was once the HTL now appears to have moved significantly closer to their homes. While these are cases observed by CRZ officials or those brought to their attention, there may be many more violations that may have gone unnoticed. Hence, the tourism department and the local authorities have to be cautious before granting permission for any activity in the CRZ," an official said.While the state govt put in place a shoreline management plan to address sea erosion, the official said the CRZ is monitored based on the 2019 notification, in which the HTL is decided based on satellite imagery data and ground surveys.Meanwhile, sources also said that locals are opposing the inclusion of the upstream area of the newly constructed barrage-cum-bridge across the Nethravati River at Adyar-Harekala under the CRZ. Officials, however, clarified that any such changes would require a revision of the existing CRZ guidelines, the official said.Illegal sand mining remains a major concern, despite the availability of sand in designated non-CRZ areas.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

NGT nod for temple at Ulwe after assurance of no construction in CRZ
NGT nod for temple at Ulwe after assurance of no construction in CRZ

Hindustan Times

time7 days ago

  • Hindustan Times

NGT nod for temple at Ulwe after assurance of no construction in CRZ

URAN: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has dismissed a petition challenging construction of the Tirupati Balaji temple at Ulwe in Navi Mumbai after the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the project proponent, assured the tribunal via a sworn affidavit that no construction activity would be carried out in areas falling within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The proposed temple, modeled after the Tirumala shrine in Andhra Pradesh, will be built at a cost of ₹ 70 crore (HT PHOTO) The proposed temple, modeled after the Tirumala shrine in Andhra Pradesh, will be built at a cost of ₹70 crore, on a 40,000 square metre plot allotted by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to TTD in April 2022. The plot is located near the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) and the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was originally scheduled for August 21, 2022, but was cancelled following objections from environmentalists who said the plot was originally a wetland and demanded its restoration. The ceremony was eventually conducted on June 7, 2023 after the project received CRZ clearance. BN Kumar, director of the nonprofit NatConnect Foundation had approached the NGT, citing CRZ violations and contending that the plot was originally a wetland and fishing pond before it was filled up for MTHL casting work. A study by the Institute of Remote Sensing (IRS) at Anna University, commissioned by TTD, revealed that under the 2011 Coastal Zone Management Plan, 2,748.18 square metres fell within CRZ-1A (ecologically sensitive area), 25,656.58 square metres within CRZ-II (developed land areas), and only 11,595 square metres was outside the CRZ. However, as per the 2019 Coastal Zone Management Plan, the non-CRZ area was much larger, at 29,523 square metres. The proposed temple, roads, and drainage facilities were completely outside the CRZ as per the 2019 plan, the IRS concluded. On November 20, 2023, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) approved the project and allowed fencing and landscaping work within the 50-metre mangrove buffer zone, but barred any structural construction in CRZ areas. Before the NGT, Kumar's counsel, advocate Ronita Bhattacharya, opposed the approval granted by the MCZMA, whereas TTD's counsel, advocate Harshavardhan Bhende, said they had already filed an affidavit clarifying the temple would be constructed entirely in the non-CRZ zone. During final arguments, TTD formally committed on oath that it would not undertake any construction in CRZ areas and would seek prior permission for any future work in those areas. Kumar's counsel accepted the undertaking, and with no further objections, the NGT dismissed the case on July 31, 2025. The order was uploaded recently. Despite the NGT's nod, concerns regarding the impact of construction activity on the environment persist. 'CIDCO's own records list the plot as flood-prone, and satellite maps from the Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) show a flood hazard line running through the site,' said Kumar. 'The wetland should have been restored, not repurposed.' Though the temple would be built on an elevated base, the surrounding areas are low-lying and vulnerable to flooding, Kumar added. 'This reality cannot be ignored.' Nandakumar Pawar from the nonprofit Sagar Shakti said, 'We welcome spiritual development, but CIDCO must ensure that ecological safeguards are not compromised.'

NGT takes note of illegal jetty construction on Chilika banks
NGT takes note of illegal jetty construction on Chilika banks

Time of India

time05-08-2025

  • Time of India

NGT takes note of illegal jetty construction on Chilika banks

Cuttack: National Green Tribunal ( NGT ), East zone bench, in Kolkata has taken cognisance of a petition filed by Maa Kalijaee Motor Boat Workers Union, alleging illegal construction of a concrete jetty at Garadwar in Khurda district on the banks of Chilika lake. The bench comprising Justice B Amit Sthalekar (judicial member) and Dr Arun Kumar Verma (expert member) has issued notices to the Odisha State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA), Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Wetland Authority, and Chilika Development Authority, along with the private company behind the project. The matter was heard on Aug 1. The petitioners, represented by advocates Sankar Prasad Pani and Ashutosh Padhy, alleged that the jetty is being built without CRZ clearance and violates environmental norms. The petitioner society represents traditional boat workers and fisher folk who have relied on Chilika lake for generations. After fishing rights were suspended in 2017, many of them turned to tourism for livelihood. They have been demanding construction of a jetty to support their work, but claim their pleas have been ignored. The petitioners pointed out that the construction site falls under CRZ-III A and CRZ-IV B zones, where stringent restrictions are in place under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Online & Flexible degrees BITS Pilani Digital Apply Now They argued that while CRZ clearance was granted in 2022 for a floating jetty in Satapada (Puri district), no such permission exists for the ongoing construction in Garadwar. The petitioners had submitted a complaint to the Khordha district collector on April 11, 2025, demanding that work be stopped, but claimed that no action was taken. Protests were also reported at the site in May, followed by media coverage, but officials allegedly remained inactive. The bench noted that the issue merits serious consideration and directed all respondents of the notices to file their replies within four weeks. The matter has been listed for hearing on Sept 15. The petition has also sought directions for immediate halting of construction, demolition of the jetty, restoration of the site, and exemplary costs on the private firm for violation of CRZ norms and polluting the lake with untreated sewage. The disputed jetty is reportedly part of a Rs 14.67 crore luxury tourism project approved in principle by the Odisha govt in July 2024, featuring houseboats, cottages, a spa, and an adventure park.

Now, Goa govt introduces bill to regularise houses on comunidade land
Now, Goa govt introduces bill to regularise houses on comunidade land

Time of India

time04-08-2025

  • Time of India

Now, Goa govt introduces bill to regularise houses on comunidade land

Panaji: A proposed amendment to the Goa Legislative Diploma No. 2070 to to regularise unauthorised dwelling houses constructed on comunidade land before Feb 28, 2014 was approved by the cabinet on Monday and introduced in the legislative assembly later in the day. According to the bill, the area eligible for regularisation is the plinth of the dwelling house plus two metres on all sides, subject to a maximum of 300sqm. If an application for regularisation is not filed or is rejected, the administrator of comunidades shall initiate proceedings for removal of the structure. Regularisation is not permissible on agricultural tenant's land as described under the Agricultural Tenancy Act, protected forests, wildlife sanctuaries, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) if constructed after Feb 19, 1991, no-development zones, eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) I, khazans, road setbacks or right-of-way, filled water bodies or natural water channels, and land other than cultivable areas or orchards in ESZ II. Regularisation is permissible if the land falls under settlement, institutional, industrial, cultivable or orchard zones. Any excess land must be surrendered to the comunidade through the administrator, and possession of the excess land must be taken before the final order is issued. Applications must be made within six months of the commencement of the amended act, and must be accompanied by relevant documents and the prescribed fees. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Blood cancer is taking our curious baby away from us! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo The bill states that applications shall be disposed of within six months from the date of receipt, and only one application per dwelling house will be allowed. The proposed amendment empowers an officer not below the rank of a senior scale officer of the Goa Civil Service, to issue orders for regularisation of such unauthorised dwellings upon receiving from the applicant an application, compensation to be paid to the comunidade concerned, and the explicit consent of the comunidade to regularise the land in question. An applicant must be a landless person who constructed a dwelling house before Feb 28, 2014, on land belonging to the comunidade without such land being lawfully granted to him/her. The applicant must have been a resident of Goa for at least 15 years prior to Feb 28, 2014. In case of his/her death, a family member may apply, but this does not include a person or kin who owns a plot of land, a house, flat, or apartment, or an undivided share in ancestral property which, on the date of making an application, was separately allotted to him/her.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store