Vizag Beach Levelling Goes on Unabated

Noted environmental activist and former secretary, government of India, Dr EAS Sarma alleged that Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) had been violating the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) regulations on city’s beach. In a letter written to  Secretary Environment and forest, government of India, DR EAS Sarma further alleged that Andhra Pradesh Costal Zone Management Authority which is mandated to protect the sea coat and GVMC were giving short shrift to the destruction being carried along the Vizag beach. Following the text of the letter.
To
Ms Leena Nandan
Union Secretary (Environment & Forests)
Dear Ms Nandan,
Kindly refer to my letter dated 27-2-2023 addressed to you on the subject and MOEF’s prompt response. Dr. H. Kharkwal, Scientist in MOEF has asked the APCZMA to assess the environmental damage caused by the officers of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) along the city’s beach. I have also in turn requested APCZMA to carry out an objective assessment of the same and apprise your Ministry.

I must however bring to your notice that APCZMA and the District CZMA have, over the years, degenerated into mere appendages of the State government and are either toothless or have become passive parties to continuing violation of the CRZ norms along the coastline.

The fact that GVMC was flouting the CRZ regulations on the city’s beach was highlighted by almost all local newspapers and visual media and neither APCZMA nor DCZMA can pretend that they are not aware of it. Had they shown any initiative and a sense of responsibility, they ought to have intervened on their own to stop GVMC from levelling the beach sands, instead of forcing citizens like me to bring it to your notice, seeking environmental justice. Their role as statutory authorities set up under the CRZ notification needs to be brought under the scanner, if your Ministry has any respect for the sanctity of the CRZ notification and the need to conserve the coastal resources.

EAS Sarma
Dr EAS Sarma

I am afraid that APCZMA is not inclined to move quickly enough to stop the vandalism that is going on along the beach, which in turn will subject the sandy portion (CRZ I) of the beach to irreversible damage.

There are more than ten high rise buildings that have come up within CRZ-II along the city’s coast, in violation of the CRZ notification and it is widely known that the promoters of those structures are either influential or GVMC’s town planning department colluded with them to allow those structures to come up. The landmark judgement of Hon’ble Supreme Court for demolishing the Maradu towers in Kerala on the ground they violated the CRZ norms are equally applicable to these high rise buildings in CRZ II of Visakhapatnam. APCZMA has been a passive spectator to such structures coming up in violation of the CRZ norms. This makes me wonder whether APCZMA will ever act on Dr. H. Kharkwal’s direction at all. Every day’s delay in APCZMA  acting on that letter would only cause that much more additional damage.

In view of this, may I appeal to MOEF to request a senior representative of an expert institution like SACON to visit Visakhapatnam within the next few days, assess the damage in the presence of concerned citizens, especially representatives of the local fishing community and submit a report to MOEF on (i) environmental damage, (ii) violation of CRZ regulations? Kindly treat this as urgent.

-Yours sincerely,
E A S Sarma
Visakhapatnam
7-3-2023 

 

 

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