66 villages in Kerala to receive relaxations under CRZ regulations

Currently, these villages fall in the third category of CRZ areas (CR III), which places restrictions on natives in undertaking construction works in these areas.

New Delhi: In a major relief for fishing communities in Kerala, the central government agreed to relax CRZ regulations for 66 villages in eight districts falling under Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ). Coastal Management Authority agreed to the demands tabled by the Kerala government in a meeting earlier this week.

Currently, these villages fall in the third category of CRZ areas (CR III), which places restrictions on natives in undertaking construction works in these areas. The meeting agreed to change the category from CRZ III to CRZ II and relax restrictions in these areas. In CRZ-II, there is no such restriction for undertaking construction work.

Since 2011, Kerala has been demanding that 175 panchayats in the CRZ III category be transferred to the second category. Following this, the demand was agreed to change 66 panchayats in Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur districts.

However, the central government has set some conditions for this change. A disaster management authority plan should be introduced in all 66 panchayat. Meanwhile, Panchayats surveyed and identified as having mineral deposits by the Department of Atomic Energy will not be allowed to be shifted from CRZ-3 to CRZ-2. As per the rules laid down in the Coastal Management Act, 2011, restrictions have been imposed in CRZ categories one to four.