Gujarat wants CRZ limit dropped from 500 to 100m

Environmental degradation is being cited as one of the key reasons for the Uttarakhand catastrophe. Mother Nature has again shown the price one has to pay for messing with her, but this doesn’t seem to be deterring the Gujarat government from charting destructive plans of its own for the state.

Ignoring the fact that the sea has eaten away miles and miles of land in coastal areas, especially in south Gujarat, the state government wants the ban on mining of limestone in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas to be relaxed.

The Narendra Modi government takes pride in having set up a separate climate change department, but it seems as if the lure of mineral wealth has got the better of it. The entire coastal belt of Saurashtra and Kutch is rich in limestone, but majority of the reserves are untapped because of the ban on mining in CRZ area. The state government has written to the Union ministry of forests & environment to allow mining of minerals in such areas.

“There is a ban on mining of minerals in CRZ areas. We are asking the central government to ease ban on limestone mining in such areas,” a senior official of forest & environment department said, requesting anonymity.

CRZ is defined as the area between low tide line to high tide line and between high tide line to 500 metre towards the landward side. There is a ban on construction and also mining activities in this zone to prevent damage to the local ecosystem.

The state government has said that instead of 500 metre restriction, the ban on mining can be for 100 metre, or even less.

The damage to the coastal ecology is a big concern if mining is allowed, but the government seems oblivious to it, and has other ideas. Its main argument in support of relaxing the ban is that many cement plants in Saurashtra, which were given mining leases within the now banned areas before CRZ norms came into effect, are suffering due to the restrictions.

“Mining is not allowed in CRZ area due to fears of ecological damage. However, these fears may be overblown. The natural construction of Saurashta and Kutch coast is such that there will be no sea water ingress even if mining is allowed after a certain distance from the sea,” said an official in support of the demand to relax the ban.

Experts, however, dispute the view, and believe that such a relaxation could lead to ecological havoc.

“Permitting limestone mining in coastal areas is not a wise move. The natural wall that exists between the sea and the land will be damaged. The first thing that will happen is salinity ingress in coastal areas. We are already seeing this at many places, especially in Saurashtra. There will also be damage to the local ecosystem, besides other problems,” said an environmentalist, requesting anonymity.

The issue of allowing limestone mining in CRZ area is not a new one, but has been taken up again recently. The government has been pushing for it for some four to five years now. During several meetings with the Union forest & environment ministry, the state government has recommended that limestone mining be allowed in CRZ zone.

Back in 2010, when the Union forests & environment ministry had circulated the draft CRZ notification for states’ comments, the department had sent multiple letters requesting permission for limestone mining in CRZ areas, among other issues.

The Centre had informed the state government that the issue of permitting mining activities in CRZ area would be considered while revising CRZ notification. However, the issue was not included in the revised notification.

Another senior official said that the state government has taken up with the Centre the matter of allowing limestone mining within CRZ area based on technical studies.

HK Dash, additional chief secretary of forest & environment department, said, “It is not just about reducing the no-go area of 500 metre from the sea coast.

There is a need to have a balanced approach. We are in favour of a detailed mapping of coastal belt to ascertain the places where mining can be allowed, and which are strictly no-go areas.”

The state government is also asking the Centre to authorize the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG) for mapping of coastal areas.

“Presently, there are a few central government institutions that are doing this kind of mapping work. Authorising BISAG will enable us complete the work in less time,” Dash said.