Dear Friends,
MoEF has notified on 25th Jan 2011 the state and UT CZMAs to identify CRZ violations as per the maps approved under CRZ Rules 1991. It is time for all responsible citizens having knowledge of such violations to present such cases before CZMAs so that action can be initiated against the culprits. Stakeholder involvement is necessary since the CZMAs are not equipped to identify violations on a vast stretch of CRZs. In many cases local government agencies have colluded with project proponents to facilitate violations. As in the case of the proposed cricket stadium in Cochin, real estate lobbies have the muscle and money power to buy goondas representing local residents, media, state ministers and central ministers to support the violation.
CZMAs are directed to upload action-taken-reports in their websites every fortnight. Let us be alert, or this broad "spectrum" would go unnoticed.
Replies
Absolutely agreeable Sir.
I request you to consider one more case. Adarsh case of Mumbai is applicable for multiple directions. Now consider Mr Anil Ambani's residence which is almost 20 storeys or more, same media and same authorities have not noticed it at all. EP / CRZ entered as a part of overall irregularity in Adarsh. Antalia (Mr Ambani's Res) will have only one family to suffer against many unconcerned and innocent families to suffer in Adarsh.
Again equippedness of Govt agencies as usual is always poor against their requirements. Consider the EIA's Met data requirements, we have got a full fledge department (IMD) collecting the data which are found insufficient at times by MoEF. When the Government itself affords to remain un-coordinated to the extent that one dept of Govt with unlimited resources specifically shouldering the responsibility does not have the resources to provide the data the other department needs, how can the Govt ask others to provide for "reliable information", fact is even with explosion of information, our Govt wants to remain the way it is.