Abstract
The passage and progress of the Coastal Regulatory Zone law from 1991 until today has carried it through a number of environmental and developmental challenges. This law applies to the conservation of fragile ecology and ecosystems surrounding all water bodies such as rivers, creeks, lagoons, estuaries, coral reefs, mangroves, swamps and backwaters. The need for considering environmentalists of the stature of Madhav Gadgil and the Kasturirangan report for preparing a report on the Western Ghats and then succumbing to the populist resistance which followed against their recommendations suggests a need to raise one pertinent question before expanding development into fragile eco-zones: Can the fragile ecology of riverbeds and coasts be preserved without substantive land-use restrictions over them? This chapter attempts to find answers to this question and to demonstrate that the gap which is created due to state failure in acting as a custodian of ‘environmental resources’ has placed the judiciary in a powerful position with immense freedom to interpret the CRZ regulations. This has weakened the spirit of law by reducing the scope and effectiveness of regular administrative agencies expected to implement the law and conservation requirements. This chapter highlights that any wavering on implementing CRZ law will push the fragile vicinity of water bodies into increased vulnerability to disasters, leading to massive socio-economic destruction and loss of lives.
This paper was published as a Special Article in Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 51, Issue No. 7, 13th Feb. 2016 and is being reproduced here with an authorized permission from EPW.
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Notes
- 1.
In the order dated May 3, 2005 in W.P. (C) No. 689/2004; order dated March 31, 2003 in W.P. (C) No. 8227/2002.
- 2.
W.P. (C) No. 6729 & 7506 of 2007.
- 3.
W.P. (C) No.689/2004 Order dt. May 3, 2005, W.P. (C) No. 8227/2002 Order dt. March 31, 2003.
- 4.
‘Deltas Sinking and Shrinking as Dams Curb Steady Flow of Fresh Water to the Coasts’, The New Indian Express, January 28, 2015, 09:09 pm, Study of Coastal Zones National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, ‘India has 7500 km coastline (~5400 km on the mainland) and about 250 million people live within 50 km distance from the shore. India’s mainland coastal stretch of 5422 km have undergone tremendous changes due to varying natural and human induced coastal activities’. (http://ncscm.org/cms/geo/pdf/research/High%20resolution%20Erosion.pdf)
- 5.
‘Indian Coastline Rapidly Eroding’, Deccan Chronicle, Chennai January 28, 2015, Shoreline Change Assessment for Kerala Coast available at http://ncscm.org/cms/more/pdf/ncscm-publications/kerala_fact_sheet.pdf and Purvaja and Senthil (2011) available at http://www.ncscm.org/reports.php
- 6.
The line on the land up to which the highest waterline reaches during the spring tide.
- 7.
Inserted by S.O 550 (E) dt. May 21, 2002, vide Gazette of India (Extra) No.470.
- 8.
Indian Council of Enviro-Legal Action vs. Union of India & Others 1996(4) JT SC 263
- 9.
Ratheesh and Others Vs. State of Kerala and Others, W.P. (C) No. 19564/11 decided on July 25, 2013.
- 10.
Union Territory of Lakshadweep vs. Seashells Beach Resort. AIR 2012 SC 2309:2012(6)SCC136:2012 AIRSCW3343., Union of India vs. Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, 2006(4) KLT.SN.117.P.84:2006(4) CTC460. J., Piedade Filomena Gonsives vs. State of Goa. AIR 2004 SC 3112: (2004) 3 SCC 445:2004 AIRSCW 2302.
- 11.
Huffman, ‘In a sense, the widespread misrepresentation of the history of the public trust doctrine is apt because the lawmakers themselves often have been party to the distortions’ (2008:8).
- 12.
P.A. Fazal Gafoor vs. State of Kerala. Special Leave to Appeal (Civil) No. 5038/2002. April 25, 2003.
- 13.
Goa Foundation vs. Diksha Holdings Pvt. Ltd.2001 (2) SCC 97=AIR 2001 SC 184.
- 14.
Jacob Vadakkancherry vs. State of Kerala AIR 1998 Ker. 114.FB.
- 15.
Antony A.V. Vs. Corporation of Cochin WP(C) No. 27248 of 2012 (E), Manu/KE/20141/2014 decided on December 8, 2014 in the High Court of Kerala.
- 16.
Manupatra, Manu/Ke/2041/2014. p. 9.
- 17.
Deccan Chronicle, ‘3 Month Stay on Order to Demolish DLF Flat’, December 21, 2014, 05.12 am IST.
- 18.
Vishnu Motor vs. Vishakhapatnam Urban Development Authority, 2002 (4) ALT 746.
- 19.
Sax, Joseph L. (1970) The Public Trust Doctrine in Natural Resource Law, Effective Judicial Intervention, Michigan Law Review, Vol. 68:471, January.
- 20.
In Sethi Auto Service Station and Another vs. Delhi Development Authority & Others (2009) 1 SCC 18. the court observed that this doctrine of legitimate expectation was at the root of the constitutional principle of the Rule of Law.
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Singh, A. (2020). Coastal Ballads and Conservation Ironic: Understanding Implementation Slippages of the CRZ Law. In: Singh, A., Fernando, R.L.S., Haran, N.P. (eds) Development in Coastal Zones and Disaster Management. Disaster Research and Management Series on the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4294-7_17
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