In Kerala, 2,130 islands brought under CRZ regime

In Kerala, 2,130 islands brought under CRZ regime

Part of: GS Prelims –Environment   and GS-III – Conservation

In news:

• 2,130 backwater islands of Kerala, including Maradu, have been brought under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regime thereby imposing curbs on development activities.
• This is for the first time that the list of the Kerala islands is being drawn up.
• The list of the islands was prepared by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies

Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ)

CRZ Notification 2018 is based on the recommendations of Shailesh Nayak committee.

• Coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers, and backwaters were declared as CRZs under coastal zone regulation notification in 1991.
• CRZs have been classified into 4 zones for the purpose of regulation:
  • CRZ-I: includes ecologically sensitive areas, where no construction is allowed except activities for atomic power plants, defense.
  • CRZ-II: includes designated urban areas that are substantially built up. Construction activities are allowed on the landward side only.
  • CRZ-III: includes relatively undisturbed areas, mainly rural areas. No new construction of buildings allowed in this zone except repairing of the existing ones. However, constructions of dwelling units in the plot area lying between 200-500m of the high tide line is allowed.
  • CRZ-IV: includes the water area covered between Low Tide Line and 12 nautical miles seaward. Except for fishing and related activities, all actions impugning on the sea and tidal water will be regulated in this zone.

Miscellaneous 

National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) 

• Research centre specialising in biological research (Bangalore)
• Under the Department of Atomic Energy 
• Basic and interdisciplinary research in the frontier areas of biology. 
• The research interests of the faculty are in four broad areas ranging from the study of single molecules to systems biology.