Protesting across India, fisherfolk's apex body seeks rejection of Central govt's draft coastal zone notification

By A Representative
National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF), the apex body of fisherfolk across India, has rejected the draft Coastal Zone Regulation Notification 2018 (CRZ 18), released by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on April 18, even as holding National Day of Protest on June 11 against it by representing before collectors of of the country's coastal districts under the banner “Restore our coastline, secure our livelihoods”.
The representation said, the draft "scales back the environmental safeguards for the coastlines, and stands in violation of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986", which states that the Central government shall "take all such measures that it deems to be necessary or expedient for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and abating environmental pollution”.
In a statement, NFF said, the current CRZ, 2011 notification "mandates that setback zones be demarcated, livelihoods be protected and unchecked development curtailed", yet the draft CRZ 18 "overturns these by removing safeguards, facilitating development, in turn paving the way for Sagarmala programme.
Objecting to MoEFCC has publishing the draft CRZ 18 only in English, which allegedly only displays "its cynicism towards the fishing communities at large", NFF chairperson Narendra Patil said, “We are the largest primary non-consumptive stakeholders and natural custodians of the coastal natural resources. The fishworkers of India will not remain silent on a document that has been prepared without our consultation.”
NFF demanded that the Government of India rescind the draft CRZ 18 and take immediate steps towards enactment of a comprehensive Coastal Regulation Zone Act, as promised by the then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in January 2011.
It said, the Act must be "prepared through open and appropriate consultation with the coastal fishing communities and concerned citizens and should be based on sound scientific, environmental and social principles with the aim to protect both coastal natural resources and sustainable livelihood practices dependent on those resources."
Also demanding that the Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs) under the CRZ 2011 be implemented to include the "demarcation of lines, zones, plans and the long-term housing needs of coastal fishing communities in a transparent and accountable way", NFF General Secretary T Peter said, “Before any new regulations are introduced, the state must implement the CRZ 1991 and the CRZ 2011, and ensure that all violations are dealt with."

Gujarat consultation

Meanwhile, a public consultation in Gujarat by NGOs Centre for Social (CSJ) and Paryavaran Mitra, Ahmedabad, and a fish-workers' organization, Darya nu Dayro, with the participation of 30 representatives, also called for the rejection of the draft CRZ 18, demanding that the current CRZ, 2011 notification be "restored" for the preservation of coastal ecology and promotion of economic activity of the local people.
Seeking to make public the Shailesh Nayak Committee report, based on which the draft CRZ 18 is said to have been jotted down, the consultation demanded "carrying out mapping settlements and creating a reserve zone for coastal communities", adding, "Buffer zone limit around all mangroves should be restored to 500 metres as per the CRZ Notification of 1991 to ensure their protection".
Insisting that the areas which are Critically Vulnerable Coastal (CVC) areas should be specifically mentioned as annexure in the draft notification, the consultation said, "Untreated industrial and domestic effluents should not be disposed of in coastal waters and infrastructure for the same should be established in a time bound manner."
Also demanding that hazard line be "restored to carry out any development activity along the coastal belt", it said, the role of Gram Sabhas and Gram Panchayats in case of CRZ III areas, as also self-governing town authorities in urban areas, should also be taken into account.
Especially taking objection to the draft CRZ 18's provision which has reduced the earlier limit buffer zone for allowing “nature trails and eco-tourism activities” in CRZ-1 from 100 metres to 50 metres, the consultation said, this would adversely affect "mangroves, coral reefs and sand dunes."

Comments

US-China truce temporary, larger trade war between two economies to continue

By Prabir Purkayastha The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025 may have brought about a temporary relief in the US-China trade war. But unless we see the fine print of the agreement, it is difficult to assess whether this is a temporary truce or the beginning of a real rapprochement between the two nations. The jury is still out on that one and we will wait for a better understanding of what has really been achieved in Busan.

When growth shrinks people: Capitalism and the biological decline of the U.S. population

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Critically acclaimed Hungarian-American economic historian and distinguished scholar of economic anthropometric history, Prof. John Komlos (Professor Emeritus, University of Munich), who pioneered the study of the history of human height and weight, has published an article titled “The Decline in the Physical Stature of the U.S. Population Parallels the Diminution in the Rate of Increase in Life Expectancy” on October 31, 2025, in the forthcoming issue of Social Science & Medicine (SSM) – Population Health, Volume 32, December 2025. The findings of the article present a damning critique of the barbaric nature of capitalism and its detrimental impact on human health, highlighting that the average height of Americans began to decline during the era of free-market capitalism. The study draws on an analysis of 17 surveys from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (...

Is vaccine the Voldemort of modern medicine to be left undiscussed, unscrutinised?

By Deepika* Sridhar Vembu of Zoho stirred up an internet storm by tweeting about the possible link of autism to the growing number of vaccines given to children in India . He had only asked the parents to analyse the connection but doctors, so called public health experts vehemently started opposing Vembu's claims, labeling them "dangerous misinformation" that could erode “vaccine trust”!

Justice for Zubeen Garg: Fans persist as investigations continue in India and Singapore

By Nava Thakuria* Even a month after the death of Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg in Singapore under mysterious circumstances, thousands of his fans and admirers across eastern India continue their campaign for “ JusticeForZubeenGarg .” A large digital campaign has gained momentum, with over two million social media users from around the world demanding legal action against those allegedly responsible. Although the Assam government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has arrested seven people, and a judicial commission headed by Justice Soumitra Saikia of the Gauhati High Court to oversee the probe, public pressure for justice remains strong.

Govt claims about 'revolutionary' rice varieties raise eyebrows: SC order reserved since Jan '24

By Rosamma Thomas * In a matter of grave importance for agriculture, public health awaits Supreme Court ruling, even as top Government of India bureaucrats stand accused of “willful and deliberate disobedience” of the top court. While a contempt petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues , lead petitioner in the Genetic Modification (GM) of crops matter remains pending in the Supreme Court since July 2025, the Union ministry of agriculture asserts that two home-grown gene edited rice varieties are of superior quality, and hold potential for “revolutionary changes in higher production, climate adaptability, and water conservation.” In May 2025, the Press Information Bureau released a press release stating that a “historic milestone” had been reached, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ; the new varieties, DRR Rice 100 (Kamla) and Pusa DST Rice 1 , the press release stated, offer both benefits – increased production and environmental conservation.

Banks, investors pour $52 billion into metallurgical coal expansion despite global climate pledges

By A Representative A new report by the German environmental and human rights NGO Urgewald has revealed that banks and institutional investors have poured nearly $52 billion into the expansion of metallurgical coal, or “met coal,” despite global commitments to phase out coal financing. Between 2022 and 2024, banks provided $21.96 billion in loans and underwriting to met coal developers, while investors held $30.23 billion in securities of companies expanding coal mining operations. The report, Still Burning: How Banks and Investors Fuel Met Coal Expansion, warns that loopholes in coal exit policies have allowed continued support for coal used in steelmaking — a sector responsible for about 11% of global CO₂ emissions.

Gujarat civil society to move Supreme Court against controversial electoral roll revision

By Rajiv Shah A recent, well-attended meeting of Gujarat civil society activists in Ahmedabad , held to discuss the impact of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the controversial exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) across the country. Announcing this, senior High Court advocate Anand Yagnik , who heads the Gujarat chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said that a committee has already been formed to examine the pros and cons of SIR. “While the SIR exercise began in Gujarat on November 4 and is scheduled to continue for a month, we will file a supporting petition in the case against SIR in the Gujarat High Court or the Supreme Court after observing how it proceeds in the state,” he said. Yagnik’s announcement followed senior advocate Shahrukh Alam —who is arguing the SIR case in the Supreme Court—urging Gujarat’s civil society to also file ...

Trump escalates threats of war against Venezuela, as millions in US set to lose essential benefits

By Manolo De Los Santos The United States government is in the grips of one of its longest-running funding gaps in history. The ongoing government shutdown has already stretched beyond 30 days and now, the food security of millions of Americans is at risk as the funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is drying up and Trump officials have refused to tap into contingency funds . Approximately 42 million individuals per month rely on SNAP benefits and are set to lose them beginning on November 1.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Search This Blog