A dialogue on challenges of coastal governance in Karnataka, organised by the College of Fisheries, Mangaluru and Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, under Namati Environmental Justice programme, recommended more powers to the institutions at the regional and district-level for better coastal governance in the State. It also suggested setting up a clear procedure for identification and verification of violations and taking action on them. Meenakshi Kapoor of Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, while speaking on the apparatus for coastal governance, reported that conservation and enforcement are the least discussed issues in all the State Coastal Zone Management Authorities (SCZMA) in India. She said most of the times SCZMAs discuss project appraisals. No Critically Vulnerable Coastal Areas (CVCAs) have been identified and guidelines have to be issued for identification, planning, notification and implementation of CVCAs, she added. ICAR-Emeritus Scientist Dr R C Bhatta presented temporal and spatial changes in the land use and land cover within one-km from the high tide-line and showed the enormous increase in the built-up area within the coastal regulation zone during the last 10 years. He said the decline in the mangrove area to the extent of nearly 40 hectares in Thokur within the industrial zone of Mangaluru is a classic example of poor implementation of the CRZ notification. He stated, Unless we clearly demarcate the area required by fishing communities to meet their long-term needs as laid down in the notification the new Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) will not be complete. Further, the demarcation of the area of two notified CVCAs at Kundapur and Karwar with respective management plan should be opened up for public consultation and action. If the CVCAs are to be managed by the communities, a thorough consultation process with community members should be organised so that the negative opinion on CRZ, as an impediment for livelihood, will be removed. Regional Director (Environment) Dr Vijaya Kumar shared his limitations in implementing the notification due to the lack of authority with him. He shared that the regional directors mostly monitor and inspect the implementation of notification and report to the Karnataka SCZMA. They do not have the power to act. If they are given powers, the notification can be effectively implemented. The regional director should be given authority to issue clearances for small constructions, repairs, etc, he added. He said the CRZ Notification 2011 mandates the constitution of District-level Coastal Committees (DLCCs) for all coastal districts. However, the notification only states that the DLCCs will assist’ in CRZ implementation, he noted. Regional Director (Mangaluru) Padmanabha Gowda said granting of more powers to existing DLCCs will help in ground-truthing and settling the coastal zone disputes at a faster pace. As many as137 cases of violations are pending in Dakshina Kannada district, he added. The stakeholders felt that there should be a clear procedure and fixed timelines for verification and taking action on violations. Currently, the process is long and all the powers to take action lie with the Karnataka CZMA, which makes it a really time-consuming process. The regional directors and DCZMC should be empowered with powers to take action against the violators, they observed. If the fisher folk are able to report violations and build evidence on CRZ violations, CZMAs will be able to implement the notification in a better manner. Awareness on CRZ notification among the communities is need of the hour, they felt. Though CRZ Notification suggests 12 sites to be notified as CVCA, none have been identified so far. The state governments should involve the traditional communities in demarcating and identifying CVCAs in these 12 sites and in other ecologically fragile areas, the stake holders said. They also felt that the website of the Karnataka CZMA is currently dormant. The website should be regularly updated and useful information, such as minutes of the meetings; decisions taken; court matters; circulars and other things should made available to public through the website. The website can also collect and review suggestions for improvement in the implementation of CRZ norms, they added.
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