*Tourism Ministry wants coast curbs off*

Vrinda Gopinath

*Posted online: **Tuesday, April 11, 2006** at 0000 hrs *

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/2186.html

NEW DELHI, APRIL 10
In a move that will make environmentalists see red, the Tourism
Ministry has recommended to Environment Minister D Raja to reduce the
500m regulated zone along the Indian coast to a mere 50m if tourism is
to bring economic benefits to locals of the region.

Tourism officials say if the government is serious about encouraging
tourism as a primary source of livelihood, it must de-regulate the
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) which stipulates that there will be no
industrial development along India's vast coastline, in the
Lakshadweep archipelago and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. India has
a coast about 7,516 km long with 4,198 islands, spread along the main
coast of Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep.

Officials say if the islands of Andaman or Lakshadweep are to be
considered for tourism development, the CRZ rules ensure there is no
land available to build pleasure resorts or any other recreational
amenities. ''There is the coast on one side and forests on the other,
so there is no question of development if the regulations are
followed,'' says an official. ''And with the CRZ rules, our resorts
have no charm and no hotelier is willing to invest 500m inland.''

Now, the Tourism Ministry has recommended that the CRZ rules be
modified on a case-to-case basis; in turn, it will strictly ensure
that eco-friendly resorts are built, and that recreational activities
on the sea and coast are environment-friendly.

The ministry is already hopeful, going by the recommendations of the
Dr M S Swaminathan Committee which was appointed to ''examine and
review'' the CRZ notification. The committee has recommended the
entire coastal belt be mapped and the CRZ be applied according to the
prevailing conditions of the region.

The CRZ came in response to the Environment Protection Act of 1986,
later notified in 1991, and was introduced by the late Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi to regulate the coast. This was in response to
environmentalists' call against blatant destruction of the coastal
area by developers, contractors and hoteliers leading to degradation
of coastal ecosystems and diminishing living resources.



International Collective in Support of Fishworkers(ICSF)
27 College Road
Chennai 600 006
India
Tel:91-44-28275303
Fax:91-44-28254457

www.icsf.net
www.icsf.org

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