Lok Sabha Question No. 1852 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-21
Subject: Threat to Coastal Villages
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1852

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.12.2018

## Threat to Coastal Villages

## 1852. SHRIMATI PRATYUSHA RAJESHWARI SINGH:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether rise in sea level owing to global warming is posing a threat to the coastal villages of the country and if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether  there  are  unauthorized  development  projects  in  coastal  areas  and  decrease  of green belt as a result thereof and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any study in this regard and if so, the outcome thereof; and
- (d) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to address the problem?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a)  Sea levels are changing at different rates along the Indian coast as per the studies carried out  at  Indian  National  Centre  for  Ocean  Information  Services.    The  Second  National Communication  submitted  by  India  to  United  Nations  Framework  Convention  on  Climate Change  projects  sea  level  rise  by  3.5  to  34.6  inches  between  1990  and  2100,  which  may result in saline coastal groundwater, endangering wetlands and inundating valuable land and coastal  communities.  The  most  vulnerable  stretches  along  the  western  Indian  coast  are Khambat and Kutch in Gujarat, Mumbai, and parts of the Konkan coast and south Kerala. The deltas of the Ganga, Krishna, Godavari, Cauvery, and Mahanadi on the East Coast may be threatened, along with irrigated land and a number of urban and other settlements that are situated  in  them.  The  Government  is  committed  to  take  proactive  steps  for  protecting country's coastal areas and communities.

(b)  and  (c)    The  Coastal  Regulation  Zone  (CRZ)  Notification,  2011  and  Island  Protection Zone (IPZ) Notification, 2011 are enforced and implemented by the concerned Coastal Zone Management  Authorities  (CZMAs)  of  State  and  Union  Territories.  Under  the  extant regulations,  theses  CZMAs  have  been  empowered  to  enquire  into  the  cases  of  alleged violation of the provisions of the Notifications and take appropriate action under the law. As per State of Forest Report 2017, there has been a net increase of 181 sq.km in the mangrove cover of the country as compared to 2015 assessment.

(d) The other steps taken by the Government target protection of livelihoods of fisher folk communities,  preservation  of  coastal  ecology  etc;  initiation  of  an  integrated  coastal  zone management project with objectives of building capacity for implementation of comprehensive coastal management, etc; delineation of erosion line over the entire coast line covering the mainland coastal States/UTs as a part of hazard line mapping exercise carried out  by  Survey  of  India;  and  National  Strategy  for  Coastal  Protection  and  guidelines  for coastal protection measures for the States.