Kerala set to submit draft Coastal Zone Management Plan to Centre

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 (PTI) Kerala will soon submit its draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) to the union ministry of forests, environment and climate Change.

A cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, on Wednesday decided to submit the draft CZMP to the Centre, a CMO statement said here.

Approved by the Kerala Coastal Management Authority, the draft was prepared based on the Centre's Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2019, it said.

Out of the 175 village panchayats with urban characteristics recommended by the state government for the conversion from CRZ III to CRZ II, 66 panchayats have received nod from the Centre, the CMO pointed out.

It has been decided to request the union government again to transfer the remaining 109 panchayats into the CRZ II category, it said, adding that with the approval of the draft CZMP, the state may get relaxation in many areas.

As may as 66 village panchayats in the state have already been transferred from CRZ III to CRZ II which is comparatively a less restrictive zone.

In these panchayats, benefits are available as per the provisions of CRZ II, it said.

The non-development zone of the islands will be reduced from 50 metres to 20 metres after preparing the Integrated Island Management Plan and obtaining necessary clearance from the Centre, it further said.

With the approval of the draft CZMP, the state may also get relaxation in the areas of mangrove forests and pokkali rice fields, the statement added. PTI