Coastal zone management plan report getting ready

CHENNAI: The state environment department has entrusted preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) for the World Bank-funded Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan (ICZMP) phase II at a cost of Rs 697.68 crore to the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).

The preparation of DPR for ICZMP was taken up after the Union environment and forest ministry gave its nod.

The ICZM plan aimed at livelihood improvement of coastal communities and conservation of coastal ecosystem. The plan proposes to take up pilot projects on conservation and rehabilitation of shoreline, coastal biodiversity pollution control and disaster management plan.

The state’s coast has some of the most fragile and ecologically-sensitive biodiversity hotspots, including Coral reef of Gulf of Mannar, sea grass beds located in Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay and mangroves of Pichavaram and Muthupet.

These fragile ecosystems have been subjected to several stresses due to unplanned development activities, over exploitation of resources by the dependent population and the ever growing population in the coastal stretch.

As part of the proposal, conservation and rehabilitation of ecologically sensitive areas would be taken up on a pilot basis along with creation of coastal biodiversity and environmental baseline database for entire coast at a cost of Rs 119.75 crore, it said.

Fisher families are facing livelihood and food security issues considering crowded fishing grounds, increasing demand for fishery products and declining catch. “The fisher communities are mostly characterised by low literacy rate, lack of awareness of environmental issues, low income and a resulting reluctance among fisher folk to take up livelihood options other than fishing. This led them to involve in more effective but illegal, destructive and unsustainable fishing practices. The fishing community is also often deprived of livelihood opportunities due to ban on fishing for 45 days in a year and inclement weather during monsoon,” it said.

In order to supplement their income and also to ensure complete utilisation of fish caught/unsold, ICZM plan proposed to create fish drying facilities in the form of platforms and solar fish drying devices along the coast. “For this purpose, the landing centres will also be expanded with necessary storage and ice plant facilities. These projects will be undertaken at 40 locations along the coast of Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 85 crore,” it said.

With the state’s shoreline facing increasing threat of erosion, ICZM plan proposes to undertake a detailed regional coastal processes study, which would reveal causes of erosion and help in predicting erosion along the coast. The study would also help in designing suitable solutions to arrest erosion and also to identify locations to construct jetties, fishing harbours that would not result in major erosion of neighbouring coasts. Kanyakumari district, which is prone to erosion would be taken as demonstration site for implementing the remedial measures to mitigate erosion.

The coastline spreading along Poompuhar, Tranquebar, Nagapattinam, Mandapam, Manapadu, Uvari, Kanyakumari, Pallam, Manavalakurichi and Colachel are experiencing moderate to high erosion and needs remedial solutions, the concept note noted.

The increase of fisher population and also crafts and gears lead to over-exploitation of fishery resources and also destruction of key habitats due to use of destructive fishing practices. To enhance fishery resources, artificial reefs would be deployed at various locations and ecologically and commercially important species would be produced through hatcheries and sea ranching, besides .promoting pen and cage culture and sea farming among fisher folk who would be trained in eco-friendly fishing techniques.

Sustainable ecotourism involving the local communities to enhance their socio-economic condition and to strengthen conservation through awareness building among general public is proposed to be taken up at a cost of '60 crore. Activities such as interpretation centre, information sign and board, museum, aquarium, marine tour (including boating and diving) facility, watch tower and walking trek would be set up at Pitchavaram, Muthupet, Rameswaram, Mahabalipuram, Manakudy, Tuticorin, and Kanyakumari.

The state government is gearing up to implement an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project, amid voices of protest from fishermen community.

The World Bank-assisted project will be implemented by the Department of Forests and Environment with assistance from the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC).

The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, will provide scientific and technical inputs. The DPR would be prepared for the integrated development of coastal belt. A stakeholder meeting was held in mid October for preparing the DPR, but traditional fishermen allege they were not invited and documents were not provided in Tamil.

However, the fishermen community is apprehensive about the project and its impact on the coastline. “We fear the project would pave the way for a construction spree, jeopardising the fragile coastal environment and further endangering our livelihood. The ICZM plan will provide a means to bypass the State Coastal Zone Management Authority responsible for enforcing the Coastal Regulation Zone norms,” K. Bharathi, president, South Indian fishermen’s welfare association said.

He said the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011 was issued after consulting fishermen.

When contacted, a senior Environment department official allayed fishermen fears saying the ICZM plan would not overlap the CRZ 2011 notification. “The aim of the project was to protect the livelihood of fishermen and conservation of coastal ecosystem,” the official said.