- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved an exemption to the laws governing the regulation of coastal zones and has paved the way for gas-powered plants to be set up at Andaman and Nicobar islands.
- The Island Coastal Zone Regulation (ICRZ), 2019, limits infrastructure development on vulnerable coastal stretches.
- The National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) has recommended that gas-based power plants be permitted within the Island Coastal Regulation Zone area only on islands with geographical areas greater than 100 sq. km.
- A dual-fuel power plant that runs on both diesel and LNG is expected to be commissioned.
- There has been an increased interest in the development of the Andaman region following a policy push by the NITI Aayog. A proposed project plans to develop the Greater Andaman region or the southernmost stretch of the island group.
- Proposals include a 22-sq.km airport complex, a TransShipment Port (TSP) at South Bay at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore, a parallel-to-the-coast mass rapid transport system and a free trade zone and warehousing complex on the southwestern coast.
ICRZ 2019
- The Central Government declared certain coastal stretches as Coastal Regulation Zone and restrictions were imposed on the setting up and expansion of industries, operations and processes in the said zone.
- The Central Government has received representations from Andaman and Nicobar Administration regarding re-categorisation of Great Nicobar Island from Group –I to Group –II islands under the provisions of the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) notification.
- Group-I: Islands with geographical areas >1000 sq.km such as South Andaman, Middle Andaman, North Andaman and Great Nicobar.
- Group-II: Islands with geographical areas >100 sq.km but < 1000 sq.km such as Baratang, Little Andaman, Havelock and Car Nicobar.
- The land area from High Tide Line to 200 meters on the landward side along the sea front for Group-I Islands and 100 meters on the landward side along the sea front for Group-II Islands.
Coastal Regulation Zone
- The coastal areas of seas, bays, creeks, rivers, and backwaters which get influenced by tides up to 500 m from the high tide line (HTL) and the land between the low tide line (LTL) and the high tide line have been declared as coastal regulation zone (CRZ) in 1991.
- HTL means the line on the land up to which the highest water line reaches during the spring tide.
- Low Tide Line means the line on the land up to which the lowest water line reaches during the spring tide.
- The coastal regulation zones have been declared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change under the Environment Protection Act 1986.
- While the CRZ Rules are made by the Union environment ministry, implementation is to be ensured by state governments through their Coastal Zone Management Authorities.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
- The Andaman & Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India. This territory is known as A & N Islands, or ANI.
- It is located in the Indian Ocean, in the southern reaches of the Bay of Bengal, nearer to Indonesia and Thailand. This comprises of two island groups – the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands – which separates the Andaman Sea to the east from the Indian Ocean.
- These two groups are separated by the 10° N parallel, the Andamans lying to the north of this latitude, and the Nicobars to the south. The capital of this territory is the Andamanese town of Port Blair.
- Hindi and English are the official languages of the islands. Bengali is the dominant and most spoken language, with 26% of the population speaking Bengali.
Particularly vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTGs) who have been identified in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. They are:-
- Great Andamanese of Strait Island
- Onges of Little Andaman
- Jarawas of South and Middle Andaman
- Sentinelese of Sentinel Islands
- Shompens of Great Nicobar
SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT