The Puducherry govt has commenced the process of revising its draft comprehensive coastal zone management plan (CZMP) in strict compliance with the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification following a direction from National Green Tribunal (NGT), southern zone, Chennai.
NGT judicial member justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati passed the order while hearing an original application by N Malayanathan pleading to quash the draft CZMP prepared by the Puducherry Coastal Zone Management Authority (PCZMA) and others. PCZMA uploaded the draft plan on its website and decided to hold a public hearing.
However, they postponed the public hearing after the applicant and respondents agreed. They observed ‘certain omissions’ in preparing the draft plan after the applicant’s counsel pointed them out. They noted that since the exercise would give a ‘complete and comprehensive plan’ which can hold good for years to come, the respondents can hold public hearings after redrafting the plan and publish it for the public view.
Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC) member secretary N Ramesh and PPCC scientist Vipin Babu, who appeared in person on behalf of the respondents before the tribunal, filed a detailed status report and a compilation of maps, notifications and information related to the public hearing.
However, the applicant pleaded that the maps are incomplete and contrary to the CRZ notification. The respondents promised to revise the final draft of the plan with the assistance of the departments of fisheries and revenue and disaster management and hold the public hearing after presenting and publishing the revised draft plan to the public.
The tribunal directed that the tribunal must consider all comments, inputs, and objections received at the public hearing and from other sources and incorporate necessary changes for the benefit of the environment and all the stakeholders concerned. The draft shall then be finalized and placed for approval by the Union environment, forests and climate change ministry.
“…we direct the respondent to strictly follow the time frame and advert to all the points referred to by not only by the applicant but also from other quarters and prepare a comprehensive CZMP,” they said and posted the case to August 12.
The tribunal also impleaded the department of revenue and disaster management and the department of fisheries and fishermen welfare as the PPCC availed their assistance and issued notice to the newly added respondents.