The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 has been issued vide S.O 19 (E) dated 06.01.2011 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India to conserve and protect the coastal stretches and to promote sustainable development in the coastal areas.
The coastal areas have been categorized as five zones as follows in the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2011:
The preparation of Coastal Zone Management Plan as per the provisions of the CRZ Notification is mandatory for the State. As per the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011, the Department of Environment and Climate Change has entrusted the CZMPs draft preparation for all the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu to the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, which is an authorized agency approved by MoEF&CC, GoI, for the above said purpose.
The MoEF&CC, GoI have conveyed the approval of the CZMP for Tamil Nadu, based on the recommendations of the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) on 24.10.2018. The approved CZMP in 117 maps have been uploaded in the website of the Department of Environment and Climate Change (http://www.environment.tn.gov.in) and Environmental Information System (http://tnenvis.nic.in). The soft copy of the approved CZMP has been sent to all the District Coastal Zone Management Authorities and the Stakeholder Departments for necessary action.
The MoEF&CC, GoI has directed all the States to prepare the CZMP as per the guidelines of CRZ notification 2019. For the State of Tamil Nadu, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), MoEF&CC, GoI is preparing the maps at the scale of 1: 25000 as per the Guidelines of CRZ Notification, 2019 at a cost of Rs.1.82 crores. The work is under progress. The Government of India has directed all States to follow the approved CZMP as per the CRZ Notification, 2011, until the approval of CZMP as per the CRZ Notification, 2019.
1.2. Preparation of Local Level Coastal Zone Management Plan
The Government of Tamil Nadu has accorded sanction for the mapping of Local Level Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan mapping at the scale of 1:4000 scale through Institute of Remote Sensing (IRS), Anna University at a cost of Rs.2.99 crores under Coastal Disaster Risk Reduction Project (CDRRP) fund. The work completed by IRS, Anna University. The local level CZM Maps prepared as per the Coastal Regulation Zone 2011 Notification has already been sent to all the coastal District Collectors /District Environment Engineers, Line Departments, local bodies and other agencies to facilitate the implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Plans.