KOCHI:
Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA) urged the MP’s from Kerala to intervene in the CRZ Notification 2011- enabling house construction for local inhabitants in coastal areas of Kerala.
KLCA submitted a letter to bring attention to the plight of coastal people in Kerala due to the implementation of coastal regulation zone notification (CRZ) promulgated on 6th January 2011. They requested to take agent
measures to rectify the anomalies in the notification and enable the construction of houses of l
ocal inhabitants and protect the right to shelter of ordinary people.
Obviously the Ministry had mooted this Notification to ensure the livelihood security of the fisher communities and other local communities living in coastal areas and to protect and conserve the coastal structures and to promote development through sustainable manner based on scientific principles taking into account the dangers of natural hazards in coastal areas. There is no doubt that the coastal area should be protected but the right to shelter of the coastal people – the fishermen and the local inhabitants need also to be protected.
The present coastal regulation zone notification prevent the construction in the area which is marked as NDZ – No Development Zone is creating much difficulty to the local inhabitants. Kerala is having thick population
in backwater islands and coastal area. Due to this notification local inhabitants in coastal area are not able to construct new houses or to provide living facilities for their second generation, due to the non availability of permit from the local bodies.
This phenomenon has to be attended in an urgent manner and the right to shelter of the local inhabitants need to be protected.
As per the clause 7 of CRZ Notification, the coastal area is divided as CRZ I, CRZ II, CRZ III and CRZ IV. Subsequent to the amendments the backwater islands in Kerala are classified as CRZ V. As per the coastal regulation zone notification, the Panchayats and Municipalities/ Corporations in Kerala are divided without any rational and it causes discrimination under the pretext of substantially built up area as
defined in the notification. Some areas are classified as CRZ II and some other area are classified as CRZ III for the purpose of allowing permit to the constructions. No where in the notification, it is mentioned that the panchayats should be included in CRZ III and Municipal Corporation should be included in CRZ II.
The entire coastal Stretch in Kerala is thickly populated and there cannot be any such discrimination on the basis of CRZ II and CRZ II for the purpose of construction. Some concessions are given to the CRZ II (Viz- constructions are permitted on the landward side of existing authorized constructions and on the
existing/proposed roads at the time of notification). Whereas, such concessions are not given in CRZ III. There are instances where the two sides of single boundary is having different laws regarding the construction of buildings due to the CRZ II – CRZ III difference in classification. It is also pointed out that, due to this restriction, land value is diminished and they have to keep this land as dead land. It is to be noted that even in cases of Electricity lines/tower installation and in cases of land acquisition, sufficient compensation are being given to the victims; but in this case no such measures.
The recent report submitted by Shailesh Nayak Committee recommends a new draft notification which classifies the CRZ area on the basis of population.
Fixing the number index without any rationale is not acceptable.
At the same time, there are proposals to reduce the distance of NDZ (No development Zone) from the tide level. However, our demand is to enable the house construction and other livelihood construction of local inhabitants. This may not pave the way for massive commercial construction and high rise buildings, which will gradually wipe out the coastal inhabitants from the coastal area.
Therefore, we request you to take urgent measures to moot amendments in the CRZ Notification so as to enable the local inhabitants to construct houses and other livelihood structures, enabling them to protect their right to shelter and right to life, the letter said.
