HRF takes exception to A.P. Tourism Minister’s comment on CRZ norms

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has taken strong exception to the assertion by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh in the State Assembly recently that tourism development along the coast was being hampered by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and that the government would seek relaxations in the CRZ regulations.

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has taken strong exception to the assertion by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh in the State Assembly recently that tourism development along the coast was being hampered by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and that the government would seek relaxations in the CRZ regulations.

The CRZ notification, issued in 1991, was a framework intended to protect and nourish the fragile coastal ecosystems and ensure that the beach is not vandalised.

“The CRZ notification has been amended many times, largely due to pressure from realtors and project profiteers. Time and again, economic interests were prioritised over ecological sustainability and conservation principles were brazenly disrespected,” said HRF’s Andhra Pradesh and Telangana coordinator V.S. Krishna during an interaction with select media on Thursday.

He alleged that the successive State governments, bet it the Congress, the TDP or the YSRCP, had only treated the CRZ norms with contempt and turned a blind eye to unabashed violations. They have not bothered to invoke the CRZ norms appropriately to stop coastal ecology from being pillaged.

According to HRF State Executive Committee member K. Sudha, successive governments have failed to protect the safety and livelihood of local fisherfolk. “The hunger for implementing a destructive developmental model is unbridled. The governments now seek a carte blanche to pillage and devastate the precious coastal ecosystems. Tourism has to be sustainable. It must not ravage the commons,” she said.

The CRZ notification has been amended 48 times over the years, not even once to truely protect the coast. Amendments were made only to benefit what they call ‘development’ activity. The CRZ is perhaps the most amended legislation in our country. “The revisions have invariably weakened environmental protections along the coastline, restricted access to fishing grounds, led to the destruction of marine habitat and degraded biodiversity hotspots and sensitive ecosystems, said Mr. Krishna.

The changes were pushed through with very little or no public engagement, despite requests and valid suggestions from fisherfolks, urban planners, residents of coastal cities, environmentalists and researchers, the HRF members alleged.