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18-Jul-2022: Combating Sea Erosion and protection of India’s coastal areas and coastal communities

The Government is committed for taking proactive steps in combating sea erosion and protection of India’s coastal areas and coastal communities. Some of the measures taken are as follows:

1. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has notified Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019 with a view to conserve and protect coastal stretches, marine areas and to ensure livelihood security to the fishers and other local communities. As per CRZ notification, 2019, certain coastal areas were declared as coastal regulation zone, wherein setting up of industries and expansion of industries are prohibited activities and other developmental activities/projects are regulated/ permitted as per provisions of the said notification. The notification also provides for ‘No Development Zones’ (NDZ) along various categories of coastal areas to protect India’s coastline from encroachment, erosion and accretion.
2. MoEFCC has delineated the hazard line for the entire coast of the country. The hazard line is indicative of the shoreline changes, including sea level rise due to climate change. This line is to be used by agencies in Coastal States as a tool for Disaster Management including planning of adaptive and mitigation measures. The hazard line features in the new Coastal Zone Management Plans of the coastal States / Union territories approved by the MoEFCC.
3. A national strategy for coastal protection along with guidelines has been framed for all Coastal States and Union Territories by MoEFCC.
4. The Flood Management scheme of Ministry of Jal Shakti, including anti-sea erosion schemes, are planned and executed by the State Governments with their own resources as per priorities of States. Union Government renders assistance to states which is technical, advisory, catalytic and promotional in nature.
5. Considering the importance of collection of data on coastal processes towards coastal protection measures, a new component "Coastal Management Information System (CMIS)" was initiated under the Central Sector Plan Scheme "Development of Water Resources Information System". CMIS is a data collection activity carried out to collect near shore coastal data which can be used in planning, design, construction and maintenance of site specific coastal protection structures at vulnerable Coastal stretches. Establishment of three sites each in the State of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and union territory of Puducherry has been completed.