Defer amendments to Coastal Regulation Zone: Karunanidhi urges PM

CHENNAI - Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Friday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to defer notification of new amendments to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), which he said would destroy coastal ecology and also hurt the livelihood of fishing communities.

Referring to the union Ministry of Environment and Forests notification of draft CRZ Nov 15 calling for objections and suggestions, Karunanidhi in a letter to Manmohan Singh Friday said: “I wish to bring to your benign notice that there is a strong apprehension among coastal communities that the notification will cause widespread destruction to the livelihood of fishing communities and other poor communities in coastal areas that it will result in the destruction of coastal ecology and marine resources.”

According to Karunanidhi, the introduction of new amendments under CRZ Notification 2010 would give the scope to tamper with zones and accommodate new interests from time to time.

“Already, the state is experiencing a series of agitations in the coastal areas strongly condemning the proposed notification,” the letter, a copy of which was released to the media here, notes.

Citing the fears of environmental groups that the draft CRZ encourages growth of certain interest groups at the cost of environment, Karunanidhi notes: “Any drastic changes in the existing regulations may cause distress among the fisher folk and some interested groups may create law and order problems, utilising the situation.”