A study on the coastal areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has revealed that over the past 33 years, the Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMP), prepared thrice since 1991, have been inaccurate and incomplete. The study ‘Coastal Zone Management Plans – Tool for the Protection of Coastal Habitats’, released on Monday, was undertaken by the Conservation Action Trust (CAT) and sponsored by the Azim Premji University.
CZMPs are a crucial tool for protecting the ecological and geomorphological features, as well as the coastal commons for people who rely on them for sustenance. The Coastal Zone Regulation notification of 1991 stipulates that any construction and infrastructure projects proposed in coastal areas should be approved/rejected based on these CZMPs.
Stating that CZMPs do not demarcate several stretches of corals, mangroves, mudflats, nesting sites of birds, salt pans, geomorphologically important areas, fishing villages, forests, and archaeologically important places, the study reveals deficiencies and sins of omission and commission in the process of preparing and publishing the CZMPs.
“During this entire process, which was conducted twice in a span of three years [2017 when draft under CRZ 2011 were published and in 2020, when the draft CZMPs under CRZ 2019 were published], the locals – the Kolis – were never adequately informed or educated about the CZMPs, the status of their region, or consulted by the State Coastal Zone Management Authority,” states the press statement.
It further states that “this study also shows how the state municipalities, bureaucracies, planning agencies, and statutory bodies continue to subvert the CRZ Notifications of 1991, 2011, and 2019 with impunity, openly taking advantage of incorrect CZMPs, public ignorance and a lethargic judiciary.”
The study was conducted using archival research, ground truthing, satellite data mapping and focused group discussions.
“The sea is already rising. While it may seem a case of erroneous mapping to the layman, such errors have major ramifications on the coastal area, and the people dependent on it. In case of city like Mumbai, which is a coastal city, the impacts could be grave,” said Debi Goenka, executive director, CAT.
Stating that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s former municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal had made a statement stating that major portion of the city will go underwater by 2050, Goenka added, “Increased frequency of cyclonic events on the west coast is also a cause for concern. Prima facie, the move to allow additional constructions along our vulnerable coastal areas with higher FSIs is extremely perverse and counter-productive.”