Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

State to seek translation of CMZ notification into local languages

CHENNAI: The State Environment Department will ask its Central Government counterpart to translate the draft Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) notification into languages of the communities living along the coast.

It will also ask for the time for public comment on the notification to be extended, Environment Secretary N. Sundaradevan said on Tuesday.

The 60-day period for review and public comment is due to end in a week.

However, with the notification only available in English, published in the Gazette and on the Ministry’s website, few of the communities living along India’s 8,000-km coast were able to access the draft, let alone make any comment.

With a number of environmental activists bringing up the issue at a national meeting on ‘Combating coastal challenges’ here on Tuesday, Mr. Sundaradevan agreed to take up the issue with the Centre. “Out of our own interest, we have translated the document into Tamil,” said Gilbert Rodrigo, founder of GUIDE, or the Gandhian Unit for Integrated Development Education.

“But most people, especially the fishing communities, can’t access the document, so what is the point of this 60-day period?” he asked.

Activists also pointed out that the government had not worked with the local panchayats to spread awareness of or elicit comments on the notification.

Mr. Sundaradevan agreed and offered his opinion that the Centre should not impose such a notification without consulting local authorities who would be the most directly affected and who would have to implement the guidelines on the ground.

“They can prescribe the overall contours of development and conservation, but micromanaging local planning from Delhi is not acceptable to me,” he said.

However, “the time is now too short to consult all the panchayats.”

Advocate T. Mohan pointed out that there was sufficient precedent of the government holding industry conclaves to ascertain the views of special interest groups on legislation even after the notice period expired.

So, the deadline could be extended to get the views of all fishing communities on a notification that would impact their livelihood.

Several activists also argued that the CMZ, which would supersede the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 1991, may not make much of a difference unless it ensured stronger enforcement.

“The basic problem with the CRZ was weak implementation. Now the implementation mechanism in the CMZ also looks very vague. So what is the point of replacing it,” asked Mr. Rodrigo.

While the CRZ has been accused of a “defensive mindset,” focussed on “restrictive guidelines,” activists were not sure that the CMZ’s focus on “sustainable development and management” would be any more effective in protecting the coastal environment or communities.

“Management is more complex, prohibition is easier. If you didn’t implement the prohibition, how will you implement management? Without the institutional structures or the budgetary resources, why will the new notification change attitudes or strengthen the political will to enforce it,” asked Mr. Mohan.

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