TRINET Weekly News July 7, 2008


TRINet's July 2008 Newsletter
(http://www.trinet.in/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?cid=35&lid=490)

Alayathi July 2008
(http://www.trinet.in/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?cid=38&lid=491)




CRZ/CMZ

Mangalore: Fishermen to Launch Protest at Delhi against CMZ : Mangalore,
Jul 4: Vasudev Boloor, secretary of National Fishermen Federation (NEF)
informed, that the fishermen are totally against the implementation of
the Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) in place of the erstwhile Coastal
Regulation Zone (CRZ), as proposed. In a release, he stated that the
fishermen from all over the country will be launching an indefinite
agitation in front of the parliament at New Delhi from July 22, to press
for their demand for the scrapping of the CMZ. This decision was taken
at a Federation meeting held in Kolkata on June 28, he stated. Boloor
also said that the NEF demands for the removal of cess that is charged
on the disel distributed to the fishermen, cancellation of licences
issued to foreign trawlers to fish in Indian waters and implement a
social security scheme for the fishermen in tune with the
recommendations of the International Labour Organization.

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=48366&n_tit=Mangalore%3A+Fishe\
rmen+to+Launch+Protest+at+Delhi+against+CMZ



Network seeks withdrawal of coastal management zone notifications :
Chennai: Representatives of Coastal Action Network (CAN) met senior
members of several political parties in the state on Friday on the
proposed Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) notifications and impressed on
them the need to withdraw them. CAN, whose advisory committee includes
two former Supreme Court judges, two former High Court judges,
environmentalists, advocates and fishworkers' unions, fears that the CMZ
will give priority to industry over the rights of fisherfolk and
legalise violations of current rules. It said the re-categorisation of
land and water management systems gave too much power to the authorities
to hand over coastal land and water to the tourist, mariculture, mineral
mining, shipping, and energy industries or defence-related projects. It
also said the notification would upset the distribution of power between
the State and the Centre, complicating management and legalising
violations that have taken place since the 1991 Coastal Regulation Zone
notifications, many of which are pending before courts.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/30/stories/2008063059540900.htm



New coastal law notification is too restrictive: CII : The draft of
Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) notification issued by the central
government is "too restrictive" and takes care of only the environment
and ecological aspects while overlooking the developmental needs, said
an industry body here Thursday. "The draft should instead give more
freedom to the states and ask them to prepare integrated coastal zone
plans, keeping in mind the needs of the people and those of
development," said K.P. Niyati, environmental policy division head the
Confederation of Indian Industry. Speaking on the sidelines of a
workshop on the CMZ regulation organised by the CII, Niyati said: "The
draft seeks to regulate and impose blanket restrictions on certain
industrial and development activities in coastal areas which could be
harsher than the existing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) dispensation."

http://www.freshnews.in/new-coastal-law-notification-is-too-restrictive-cii-3032\
2



Ocean scientists object to draft CMZ notification : Kolkata (PTI): With
the draft Coastal Management Zone (CMZ), which seeks to protect and
develop the coast and marine environment, having been notified on May 9
this year, ocean scientists have demanded a clear formula to demarcate
the 'no construction zone' before its finalisation. The vulnerability of
the coast to natural hazards, however, could not be properly evaluated
unless a scientific formula to draw the 'set back line' was considered
in the notification, Pranabes Sanyal, Member of the National Coastal
Zone Management Authority, told PTI. Based on scientific principles, the
coastal zone management could take into account the vulnerability of the
coast to natural hazards, try to secure the livelihoods of local
communities and protect ecologically and culturally significant coastal
resources. "The formula to fix the area for mandatory space on the coast
should be mentioned clearly in the notification by the Ministry of
Environment and Forests. This crucial point is sketchy in the draft
notification," he said.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200806301121.htm

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COASTAL MATTERS AND FISHERIES

Status quo on works on SEZ land near Mundra port : New Delhi: The
Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered status quo on construction activity on
over 6,000 acres of land in the special economic zone (SEZ) near the
Mundra Port in Gujarat. Acting on a public interest litigation petition,
a vacation Bench, consisting of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice G.S.
Singhvi, ordered notice to the respondents, including the Centre,
Gujarat and the developers Adani Exports, returnable in four weeks. "In
the meantime parties are directed to maintain status quo on the lands in
question," it said after hearing Raksh Khanna, senior counsel for the
petitioners. Jat Imran Salim and six other petitioners said the land
allotted by the State government for manufacture of salt from sea water
and for a jetty in the port region was put into private hands for the
SEZ, and the Centre sanctioned the scheme without any application of
mind. It failed to consider the fact that no Environmental Impact
Assessment clearance was obtained from the Environment Ministry though
the area pertained to forest land, having thousands of mangroves. The
petition said fishermen in the area would have to be shifted rearward of
the SEZ and consequently they would not be able to reach villages for
selling fish. Allotment of vast stretches of a notified forest area to a
big industrial house and destruction of mangroves would disturb the
environment and affect the fishermen.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/02/stories/2008070260681700.htm



India to ban new ship-breaking yards, curb coastal construction :
Bangalore: India will not allow building new ship-breaking yards and
restrict infrastructure development along its coast following pressure
from the Supreme Court and environmental groups for ecologically sound
practices. Environmental outfits such as Greenpeace have been
campaigning against practices adopted at the Alang ship recycling yard
in Gujarat. "The decision on prohibiting new ship-breaking yards might
be a small step taken on account of the environment, given the complete
lack of implementation regimes in India to ensure clean ship-breaking,"
said Sanjiv Gopal, campaign manager, oceans, at Greenpeace India.
Ship-breakers, however, are not happy with the development. "When the
Supreme Court has allowed ship-breaking activity, subject to certain
guidelines, why should the ministry of environment and forests impose
restrictions on this?" asked Pravin Nagarsheth, president of industry
body Iron Steel Scrap and Ship Breakers Association of India. Greenpeace
said it is not opposed to ship-breaking by itself. "We favour clean
ship-breaking practices and want this activity to be subjected to a
global regulatory system and not just to unilateral measures by
individual countries or shipowners," Gopal said. The government's has
outlined it plan in the draft coastal management zone (CMZ) notification
published in the gazette on 1 May by the ministry of environment and
forests. "The draft CMZ notification imposes restrictions on the
development of infrastructure along the country's coast," clarified D.T.
Joseph, who was India's shipping secretary between June 2003 and
December 2005.

http://www.livemint.com/2008/07/03222639/India-to-ban-new-shipbreaking.html



ADB to help check Karnataka coast erosion : Mangalore: Every monsoon,
giant waves crush houses on the Ullal-Kotepura coast near Mangalore in
southern Karnataka, and the sea advances a few metres, eroding the
coastline. "I have seen so many fishermen's houses destroyed every
year," says Mehmood Moosa, a fish boat owner in Kotepura. "Some 15-20
years ago, we had a one-and-a-half km wide beach. Now we have only 50m."
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) plans to do something about it. The
Manila-based bank will fund a pilot project to check coastal erosion in
the region, even as some scientists express doubts on the efficacy of
this. For the Ullal beach, ADB is considering three options, says B.
Nagendra Kumar, coastal protection works engineer on the bank's
technical assistance mission. These include submerged breakwaters, sea
walls and T-shaped structures extending from the shore line which break
waves, also known as T-groynes. The pilot project is likely to be
implemented by the public works department. "Submerged breakwaters is a
good option with comparatively lower side effects on neighbouring
beaches, as it does not obstruct the littoral drift," says K.S. Jayappa
of the marine geology department at Mangalore University who has studied
the phenomenon off the Karnataka coast for over two decades. "But this
too will make waves converge on neighbouring beaches, thereby gradually
eroding them further," Jayappa, however, points out.

http://www.livemint.com/2008/06/30230146/ADB-to-help-check-Karnataka-co.html



Marina Road Project opposed : July 2. The 9.7km long Light House to East
Coast Road (ECR) elevated expressway project of the Wilbur Smith
construction company approved by the state government, may hit rough
weather as thousands of residents of the fishing communities along
marina decided to oppose the project at any cost. The Rs500-crore
project was approved by the DMK-led government last year. The decision
to oppose the project was taken at a community meeting of 14 fishing
hamlets held near Nochikuppam on Wednesday evening. Another resolution
asked the state government to construct the promised houses for the
tsunami-affected people along Marina.

3 July, 2008, Deccan Chronicle, Chennai



Hit by the tides of uncertainty : Chennai: Once upon a time fishermen in
Chennapatnam ventured into the sea to return with pearls that were
traded with kingdoms overseas. Today, fishermen in Chennai are not even
sure if they would return with fishes, forget pearls. Muthu and his
three friends set out to fish five days ago at midnight as the wind
seemed favourable. They stayed afloat in mid-sea for about two days,
tugging at their closely-knitted nets, waiting for a prized catch but
returned on Saturday morning with trash fish and a few fat crabs;
nothing more. S.Manoharan, who has been in the trade for 50 years at
Uroor-Olcott Kuppam in Besant Nagar, says despite observing a 45-day ban
on fishing recently, several species of fishes have not shown signs of
re-appearing. "In the past 4 or 5 years, some 10 species of fishes have
disappeared from the sea," he says. Sudumbu, kondunthulai parai,
ponnanthalai, meni soraa, sen sora, adukkupal sora, and maapu netthili
are a few names he mentions off-hand. "Some people blame the tsunami,
some the huge mechanised trawlers ravaging the ocean, and everyone their
fate," he says wryly.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/30/stories/2008063051600300.htm

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CLIMATE CHANGE

India unveils blueprint for green development : New Delhi, Jul 1 (IANS)
India needs a national strategy to adapt to climate change and to
enhance the ecological sustainability of its development path, says its
National Action Plan on Climate Change. The plan was released by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh here Monday. "With an economy closely tied to
its natural resource base and climate-sensitive sectors such as
agriculture, water and forestry, India may face a major threat because
of the projected changes in climate," says the long-awaited plan, which
is now up for public debate. The plan, prepared by the Prime Minister's
Council on Climate Change after deliberations that went on for around a
year, recognises that India has wider choices in its developmental
pathway "precisely because it is at an early stage of development". The
plan promises that India "will engage actively in multilateral
negotiations in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
in a positive, constructive and forward-looking manner".

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=83104



"Climate action plan needs to be transparent" : New Delhi: Civil society
groups and environmentalists have expressed disappointment over the lack
of transparency in the preparation of the National Climate Action Plan,
a critical policy document. In an open letter addressed to the Prime
Minister, 27 civil society groups have said no information was shared on
the draft plans till date and there had been no process of consultation
with civil society or independent scientists, researchers and experts.
"Any major policy defining process has always been open to public debate
and consultation. Climate change will define the future of our country's
people, environment and economy. Any policy document that intends to
govern the manner in which India addresses this issue should be given
adequate space and time for public debate. Such transparency and
consultation will also be in keeping with the avowed principles of your
government," it said. The impacts of global warming and resultant
climate change are the biggest environmental threat our planet is facing
today. It is now apparent that this is not just an environmental crisis,
but a humanitarian crisis as well, the letter said.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/01/stories/2008070152301300.htm

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TSUNAMI

Springy sediments may amplify tsunamis : 01 July 2008. The devastating
Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 may have been made worse by springy
sediment on the seabed. Sediment is more elastic than the hard bedrock
of the Andaman Sea, where the quake occurred. As a result it can act
like a spring during an earthquake: if a piece of bedrock slips
downwards, for example, the sediment is briefly stretched out vertically
before collapsing and compressing. The effect is to amplify the movement
of bedrock, generating a larger wave than would otherwise occur. This
could explain why the 2004 tsunami was far stronger than predicted by
computer models of the quake that produced it. "If you take into account
the sediment, a much smaller slip along the fault will give you the same
wave size," says Denys Dutykh of the École Normale Supérieure in Cachan,
France. This effect is strongest if the thickness of the sediment layer
is about 12 per cent of the depth of the fault, according to
calculations by Dutykh and colleague Frédéric Dias
(www.arxiv.org/abs/0806.2929). The Indonesian earthquake was close to
that worst-case ratio, with about 3 kilometres of sediment and a fault
25 kilometres deep. Another possible danger zone is the eastern
Mediterranean, but the risk there is still uncertain, says Dutykh, as
estimates of sediment depth vary wildly.

http://environment.newscientist.com/article/mg19826625.200-springy-sediments-may\
-amplify-tsunamis.html



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LIVELIHOODS

Women SHGs running saltpans at Marakkanam : Villupuram: In the wake of
the tsunami the women of Marakkanam town panchayat have got a new
beginning. The tidal waves wiped out their frugal livelihood but thanks
to the Tsunami Emergency Assistance Project (TEAP) they have now become
the owners of saltpans. They have now formed two self-help groups — Sri
Mariammal Uzhaikkum Magalir Sangham and People Development Centre
Uzhaikkum Magalir Sangham. Valarmathi and Rani, animators of the SHGs,
told The Hindu that earlier they were doing odd jobs either in farms or
in saltpans for a daily wage of Rs 25-35. But with TEAP assistance — Rs
2.46 lakh given to each SHG with a subsidy component of Rs 1.23 lakh and
bank loan of Rs 1.23 lakh — their standard of living had started looking
up. On an average the Mariammal SHG was producing 695 bags (75 kg each)
of salt a week, and each bag was being sold at a price band of Rs 150 to
Rs 200.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/03/stories/2008070359330700.htm


"Tsunami projects will be completed by December" : Villupuram: The
tsunami rehabilitation projects being implemented in select coastal town
panchayats in Tamil Nadu will be completed by December 2008 and
thereafter the focus will be on setting up of industrial clusters of
self-help groups, said K.Gopal, Commissioner of Town Panchayats. In the
aftermath of the tsunami that struck the coastal areas on December 26,
2004 and left a trail of devastation, the government had charted out
special projects such as the Asian Development Bank-aided Rs 65-crore
Tsunamai Emergency Assistance Project (TEAP) and the World Bank-aided Rs
20-crore Emergency Rehabilitation Tsunami Project (ERTP) to be
implemented through the Commissionerate of Town Panchayats. Mr. Gopal,
who inspected the saltpans run by the women SHGs at Marakkanam near here
on Wednesday, told The Hindu that the works taken up in 2006 under these
projects would be completed by year-end.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/03/stories/2008070359320700.htm

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HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Coca-Cola, Red Cross dedicate tsunami-housing project at Colachel :
Tuesday , July 01, 2008 at 0003 hrs Coca-Cola, backed by Indian Red
Cross Society, has handed over 41 houses constructed in Colachel in
South Tamil Nadu to the families hit by tsunami in 2004. After Cuddalore
Dockyard Project and Velankanni 'Vidiaylai Noki' livelihood initiative,
Colachel housing project is the third major disaster relief project of
Coca-Cola in Tamil Nadu. The company had pumped in Rs 1 crore with
Kanyakumari district administration pitching about Rs 10 lakh towards
this project, according to Deepak Jolly, vice-president (communication),
Coca Cola India. It was PPP (Public -Private - People partnership)
involving Coca-Cola, Red Cross Society, Gram Panchayat, District
Administration and the local community that made the housing project
possible, he said, at a function in Colachel. Tamil Nadu Tourism
Minister N Suresh Rajan handed over the houses to the 41 beneficiary
families at Colachel.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Coca-Cola--Red-Cross-dedicate-tsunami-housi\
ng-project-at-Colachel/329643/

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Other Countries:

INDONESIA


150 houses from Islamic Relief for Aceh`s tsunami victims : Banda Aceh
(ANTARA News) - Britain-based Islamic Relief has donated 150 houses to
victims of the 2004 tsunami in Aceh Besar, Aceh Jaya Districts, and
Banda Aceh city, Aceh Province. The houses were officially presented on
Monday, according to acting Communication Director of the Aceh-Nias
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Agency (BRR) Ridwan Muchtar here on
Monday. The Islamic Relief, Qatar`s Red Crescent, AmeriCares, Disaster
Emergency Committee and BRR also officially handed a unit of clean water
supply facility at Beuromae village. Director of Islamic Relief
Indonesia Ahmed Tosson said that the 150 houses were part of 1,100
houses which had been constructed by the humanitarian institution since
January 2005 for tsunami victims. "It`s recorded that 850 of the 1,100
houses which we have constructed, have been handed to tsunami victims in
Aceh," Tosson said.

http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/7/2/150-houses-from-islamic-relief-for-acehs\
-tsunami-victims/

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SRI LANKA

Reconstructed Beruwala fishing harbour commenced operations : President
Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the operations of reconstructed Beruwala
fishing harbour today. The harbour which was destroyed by tsunami was
reconstructed with the financial assistance of the Chinese government.
The harbour was constructed under 'Thotupola Aruna' programme with a
total cost of Rs. 410 m. The harbour consists of a jetty, well-equipped
fish processing unit, and a new boat yard.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA-7G68F9?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=\
TS-2004-000147-LKA



Low-tech clay filters cut disease : Kaluatura, 1 July 2008 (IRIN) - For
thousands of Sri Lankans without easy access to potable water, a
low-tech filter has provided them with a convenient source of safe
water, saving on fuel costs and cutting disease. The water filter was
first mass-produced in Nicaragua and used in emergency relief
operations. It is essentially a clay pot fortified with ground paddy
husk and coated with colloidal silver that strains out virtually all
harmful bacteria and parasites. The American Red Cross (ARC) began
production of the clay filter in Sri Lanka in January 2007 and has
distributed some 10,000 units so far, principally to survivors of the
December 2004 tsunami that devastated 13 of the island's 25 districts.
"Our aim is to provide a point-of-use water purification solution that
is low cost and user friendly to as many Sri Lankans as possible," Omar
Rahaman, ARC's social marketing adviser for the project, told IRIN. He
added that the filter had benefited an estimated 50,000 Sri Lankans so far.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/VDUX-7G5PMD?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=\
TS-2004-000147-LKA



USAID completes state-of-the-art bridge in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka - The
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today marked
the end of its flagship tsunami reconstruction project with a new bridge
across Arugam Bay. The $10 million span-constructed by USAID in
partnership with Sri Lanka's Road Development Authority under direction
of the Ministry of Highways-is a gift from the American people,
replacing the original bridge destroyed by the tsunami and the first of
its kind in Sri Lanka. Meetings with residents and community leaders in
Pottuvil and Ulla to discuss the construction resulted in a modern
steel-and-concrete structure common in the United States but never used
in Sri Lanka. The design made the bridge less expensive, faster to build
and more durable.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA-7G6522?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=\
TS-2004-000147-LKA

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THAILAND

Ready for Tsunami Drill Monday 7 July 2008 : Three and a half years
since the Tsunami hit the Indian Ocean Rim, including 6 Andaman coastal
provinces in south Thailand, the residents on Thailand's shoreline have
been educated, encouraged to take part in learning, and taken part in
tests or exercises to make sure that the history would not repeat
itself. A full-scale Tsunami exercise has been conducted on a yearly
basis, while small community drills for preparedness in vulnerable
locations and in schools for children, have taken place as well. This
year the Thai government is conducting a comprehensive drill involving
residents and tourists in all 79 locations in 6 Andaman Coastal
provinces where the warning towers are installed, on July 7th during
9.30 – around 11 am. The towers are linked with the National Disaster
Warning Centre in Nontha Buri near Bangkok The Deputy Prime Minister
Suwit Khunkitti will preside over and observe the exercise at Saphan Hin
in Phuket City which is designated to be the main location, to be
broadcast by NBT. The test at Saphan Hin in Phuket will involve around
1,000 people, adults and school children, plus tourists. Each local
government will run their drill at the same time. In tourist locations
like Patong beach, signs have been put up to inform tourists. Some said
they already know and even want to join in as they appreciate the safety
measures the Thai authority recognizes.

http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/previewnews2.php?news_id=372&news_headline\
=MiniVDO:%20Special%20-%20Ready%20for%20Tsunami%20Drill%20Monday%207%20July%2020\
08



UCLA Students Providing Tsunami Relief in Thai Fishing Villages :
Twenty-one UCLA students will be working in fishing villages in Thailand
this summer, helping to rebuild coastal communities destroyed by the
devastating tsunami of 2004. The innovative project is the brainchild of
Michael Silverman, a postdoctoral scholar at the UCLA Institute of the
Environment who conducts environmental field research in Thailand. Over
the past several years, Silverman has met with members of the Thai
government and representatives of non-governmental organizations, and
all have told him the same thing: While the country is still in need of
financial assistance, it is also needs field workers and researchers
from the outside. So Silverman, with the help of Rebecca Shipe, an
assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA,
organized a summer service learning and field work program for UCLA
students. As part of the program, students will work with village
residents to regenerate mangroves to fight erosion and resist disasters,
and to identify and propagate local species that promise the greatest
biodiversity and sustainability. They will also contribute to a
comprehensive survey and assessment of coastal ecosystems, water quality
and endangered species and will map local environmental and social assets.

http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=94299



A Shell Sells : Cute creature of the deep is the star of a new Thai
animated series with global appeal. We've had Nemo the clownfish and
Oscar the shark. Now it's the turn of Shelldon, a cute yoka shell and
the star of a light-hearted Thai animation series that makes its
small-screen debut on Bangkok's Channel 3 in October. Set in the Andaman
Sea, the story focuses on Shelldon (voiced by Saravuth Martthong) a
young yoka shell orphaned in the tsunami, who's found a new home with a
fluted giant clam family in shell land. But Shelldon soon discovers that
he's different from his adopted brothers and sisters, with an ability to
absorb oxygen and release it as needed. "Shells are special. They're
natural barometers for disasters," says executive producer and director
Dr Jirayuth Chusanachote. The beautiful 3-D has taken teams of animation
specialists working in Thailand and Hollywood eight years to accomplish
at a cost of 83 million baht (US$2.47 million). The project was
initiated by Jirayuth, a PhD graduate in finance and economics and
founder of Shellhut, which owns the copyright to the animation. Shelldon
is mainly targeted at children, Jirayuth explains, although it also aims
to raise awareness about global warming.

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/13108

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Disclaimer:
This news update is provided by TRINet for the benefit of those working
in coastal areas and in tsunami rehabilitation
purely for information purposes only.
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