Mundra Hit Rakshak Manch[1]

(Forum for Protection of Rights in Mundra)      

Mundra Taluka, Kutch District, Gujarat

21^st November 2013

Shri Harshad Patel

District Collector, Kutch District

Bhuj, Gujarat

Subject:District Level Implementation of the critical clauses of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2011 notification.

Dear Shri Patel,

Greetings on World Fisheries day from the members of the Mundra Hit Rakshak Manch. We are a forum of affected people and mass based organisations who have been raising concerns related to large scale industrial expansion in the Mundra region of Kutch district of Gujarat. While we have been raising concerns at an individual level in our villages we have now come together as part of the Mundra Hitrakshak Manch.

As you are aware, the Kutch coast is not just a unique ecological hotspot but its vast inter-tidal zone and inland areas have support a variety of livelihoods. These include artisanal fishing, salt production, agriculture, animal husbandry (including pastoralists) and horticulture. We believe that it is only with our collective efforts and through active implementation of our existing laws and policies we will be able to ensure sustainable development along the Kutch coast. It is for this we look forward to your immediate and continued cooperation.

As you are aware, the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 in its Clause 6 (c ) has the specific provision for setting up District Level Coastal Committees (DLCC) to assist the Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) of the state in enforcement and monitoring of the CRZ notification. The order of 14^th October 2013 by the CZMA lists out the possible composition of the DLCC and a wide range of functions for the same.

As Chairman of this DLCC, we do hope you would take the lead in setting up a vibrant and active DLCC for livelihood protection and conservation of the Kutch coast. The Manch and its members will be extremely happy to work on and with the DLCC in all its activities and we would like to extend our full support to the district administration for the same.

We would request you to call for a meeting of the DLCC as soon as possible and expand the scope of local participation in the same. While the CRZ notification, 2011 mandates that a minimum of three representatives from the fishing community should be part of the DLCC, we hope given the vastness and diversity of the Kutch coast, there would be a possibility to expand the scope of participation. We hope that the Kutch DLCC will be able to find representation of different occupations of the coastal people residing in CRZ areas as well as many more fishing community representatives, especially

those practicing artisanal fisheries.

We also hope that through your initiative, the DLCC will also be able to a play a significant and path-breaking role ensuring a leadership role for the DLCC in the preparation of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for Kutch. This will be crucial input into the state level CZMP being prepared by the Gujarat CZMA. We, the members of the Mundra Hit RakshakManch would be keen to participate actively in the preparation of the CZMP, which can become a vision document for the Kutch coast.

We would also like to share with you that we have recently been part of a day long training program and discussion on the CRZ notification, 2011 organised by UjjasMahilaSangathan in Mundra. Representatives from Namati-Centre for Policy Research Environment Justice Program who have put together simple and pictorial material on the CRZ notification were also part of this discussion. We take this opportunity to share copies of the Gujarati and English material with you, which we have found useful. We hope that as District Collector you can consider directing similar programs along the Kutch coast where we, and our network members knowledgeable about this law can actively participate.

We look forward to your response, cooperation and working together for the protection of local livelihoods and sustainable development of the Kutch coast.

Sincerely,

Harun Sale Kara                                                        Gajendrasinh Jadeja

Bhadreshwar  Village                                                 Navinal Village

Haji Ayub Osman Majalia                                         Haresh Shamji Mahraj

Bhadreshwar  Village                                                 Bhujpar Village

Ibrahim Manjaliya                                                     Sanjay Bapat

Bhadreshwar                                                              Mundra Village

Usmangani                                                                  Vimal Kalavadiya

Setu                                                                             Namati

                                               

Bharat Patel                                                               Abhu Kasu Manjaliya

MASS, Kutch                                                              Bhadreshwar Village

Encl:Legal Awareness material related to CRZ Notification, 2013

CC: 1. Hardik Shah, Member Secretary, Gujarat CZMA

        2. V. Rajagopalan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests

        2. E. Thirunavukkarasu, Additional Director, Ministry of Environment and Forests

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[1]Mundra Hit Rakshak Manch(Forum for Protection of Rights in Mundra) is an informal collective of villagers impacted by large scale land use change due to large scale industrial expansion in the Mundra region. These persons and organisations have been regularly raising concerns against the social and environmental impacts of these projects through memorandums and street action as well as through courts. The forum was organically formed in June 2012 during the discussions of the community-led ground truthing of violations by projects in Kutch.

Jairam announces special panel to monitor Gulf of Kutch

The Kutch Fishworkers welcome the Environment Minister's announcement to form a special panel to monitor the entire Gulf of Kutch and aupport the measures taken by the Ministry to protect the unique ecology of the Gulf of Kutch which is critical for the survival of the coastal communities. To read more about the Gulf of Kutch ecology and the traditional communities along the Kutch coast:
Ecological Significance of the Mundra Coast
Kutch Coast - People, Environment and Livelihoods

To support the fishworkers demands and the ministry's efforts to protect the Gulf of kutch ecology and the livelihoods of coastal communities, please sign an online petition http://www.gopetition.com/online/33561.html

Express News Service Posted online: Thu Mar 03 2011, 04:27 hrs
Jamnagar : The Environment Minister says MoEF does not intend to hamper economic activity, but considers the gulf a ‘very sensitive’ area
Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday announced that a special monitoring committee will be formed for the entire Gulf of Kutch and not just the Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, saying “we believe the Gulf of Kutch is a very sensitive area”.

Speaking at the inauguration of National Centre for Marine Bio-Diversity Centre (NCMB) here, he said a notification to this effect will be issued in three days.

The announcement comes less than a month after the state’s environment secretary, S K Nanda, requested that only “ecologically sensitive” areas in both the gulfs off Gujarat (Kutch and Khambat) be declared as Critically Vulnerable Coastal Area (CVCA) and not the entire gulfs.

Various areas along the country’s coastline have been declared CVCAs, most notable among them is Sunderbans in West Bengal. Nanda had made the request during a meeting of state secretaries to discuss the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, 2011, last month.

But Ramesh made it clear that the ministry “does not intend to hamper economic activity at all” but at the same time, considered the Gulf of Kutch an important area that needs comprehensive attention.

The Kutch coast has experienced rapid industrialisation in the recent past and holds at least two ultra-mega power plants (with a capacity of 4,000 MW or above) and two major ports (Mundra and Kandla) besides numerous small and big industrial units.

Such activities have not gone down well with locals in many areas. Many fear that large-scale industrialisation would disrupt the means of livelihood as a major part of the coastal population depends fishing, salt pans, agriculture and animal husbandry.

They have often requested, in writing to various officials, that a carrying-capacity study be done for the Kutch coast before industrialisation plans are laid.

Satellite images of Mundra coast sought from Adanis

Jairam Ramesh said the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has asked the Adani group to provide satellite images of the Mundra coast that show the status of the area before and after the Rs 29,610-crore multi-product SEZ and port came up there.

The MoEF, he said, had received a reply from the Adanis following a site visit by A Senthilvel, additional director, in December 2010, and a subsequent show-cause notice to the group.

The notice had asked the business house as to why it should not dismantle certain constructions that it said were built without permission and which was disturbing the ecology, as well as why environmental clearances given to it earlier should not be revoked in the face of the breach of laws.

A spokesperson for the Adani group had told The Indian Express then that all the constructions carried out in the area were done after obtaining clearances.