PMO refers to ministry department to relax CRZ norms

A proposal to relax India’s Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) buffer was placed under review after intervention by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The matter was referred to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and it was indicated that the CRZ Impact Assessment Division had been assigned the file through the PMO’s grievance system. A recommendation by a NITI Aayog committee—chaired by member Rajiv Gauba—to reduce the coastal no-development zone from 500 metres to 200 metres from the High Tide Line (HTL) was at the centre of the scrutiny. The panel’s view was reported as one in which the current 500-metre limit was seen as overly restrictive for small-scale tourism, homestays, fishing livelihoods, and coastal infrastructure development.

Significant objections were recorded from environmental groups. The proposed reduction was described as a potential trigger for intensified construction pressure along the shoreline, by which greater exposure to flooding and erosion could be created. It was conveyed that global sea-level rise had been underscored as a primary concern and that near-shore building during such a period had been criticised. The argument that “allowing development near the sea defies all logic” was quoted from B. N. Kumar of NatConnect Foundation, and it was stated that urban movement away from vulnerable coastlines had been observed internationally. As part of the objections, earlier relaxations within tidal-influenced areas—such as creeks and estuaries—were recalled, where construction up to 100 metres had already been permitted despite repeated protests.

Multiple data points were highlighted to frame risk. It was reported that the Indian Development Report warned of partial submergence risks by 2050 for 113 Indian cities across nine states. Government figures from June 2024 were cited to show that 23.7% of Karnataka’s coastline was under erosion and that 33.6% of India’s total coastline was vulnerable. A sea-level rise of approximately 91 millimetres since 1993 was referenced from NASA records. Through these indicators, a case was constructed that further relaxation of the CRZ buffer would likely amplify long-term exposure to climate-related hazards.

In addition, concerns were expressed regarding the policy’s stated beneficiaries. While the dilution was presented as support for fishing communities, it was warned by Sagar Shakti’s Director, Nandakumar Pawar, that coastal tracts could be opened to unchecked real-estate expansion if the buffer were reduced. A related recommendation to decrease the mandatory industrial green cover from 33% to 10% was further criticised; it was argued that such a cut would be expected to aggravate pollution burdens and heighten associated public health risks.

It was urged by the objecting organisations that independent experts and coastal residents be consulted before any irreversible changes to the CRZ framework were adopted. With the file now under examination at the MoEFCC, a balance between development aspirations and ecological safety was widely expected to be sought, and the long-term resilience of India’s coastlines was identified as a central consideration in the decision-making process.