The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) consists of coastal land, up to 500 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL) and 100 meters along banks of creeks, estuaries, backwater and rivers subject to tidal fluctuations. As a part of the Environment Protection Act of 1986, the Ministry of Environment and Forests was ordered to regulate coastal activities from 1991. Currently, the Coastal Regulation Zone around India has been divided into four categories, which ultimately help impose restrictions on industry expansion, activity, and processing.
CRZ certified spaces have certain rules and regulations that are often implemented. Some of these include restrictions on setting up new industries or expanding existing industries, manufacturing, or hazardous waste disposal, setting up and expanding fish processing units, discharging city’s untreated water and effluents from industries and more. These regulations help protect coastal regulation zones based on a variety of criteria, helping preserve our oceans from a capital perspective.
There are 4 categories of CRZ’s and each has their own set of specific regulations based on their criteria.
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- Areas that are ecologically sensitive and important
- Areas that have been developed up to the shoreline
- Areas that are relatively undisturbed
- Coastal stretches in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep
Coastal Regulation Zones are one step towards a green future for our coasts. With strictly implemented regulation on industry, we can help preserve our coasts, save marine species and work to educate coastal communities on the importance of the environment, sustainable coastal practices, and ways to interact with our environment in a healthy way.
