Task force to check CRZ violations gets on track

This is the first time that the civic administration will actively identify CRZ violations in a regular manner,unlike earlier when they would respond only if there was a specific complaint regarding a structure or proposed structure. According to data provided by the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA),the number of complaints of CRZ violations has gone up from 42 in 2010 to 61 till June this year. The complaints received during 2009 numbered 24.

“Mumbai is a vast area and it is very difficult for the MCZMA to find violations in each and every corner of the city. We have entrusted the task of checking CRZ violations in the BMC limits to the civic administration. They will have to report it to the state government regularly,” said Valsa Nair-Singh,Environment Secretary and member of the MCZMA. “The MCZMA takes action against CRZ violations only if we receive a complaint,while the civic administration can check on these violations in an orgainsed manner throughout the city,” she said.

The task force will be headed by the municipal commissioner and include the deputy municipal commissioner (DMC-Environment),chief engineer of solid waste management department,chief engineer of the Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project,chief engineer of the Development Plan Department and all zonal DMCs as member-coordinators.

According to a senior BMC official,“The committee is in the process of formation and will start reporting the CRZ violations to the MCZMA within a month. The civic officials at the ward level,including those from the building proposals and development plan departments,will survey and check violations in each ward on a routine basis.”

The MCZMA has directed the civic administration to identify structures built without permissions required under the CRZ Notification of 1991. Constructed and under-construction buildings that have received permissions from other authorities but not from the environment department,MCZMA and MoEF should also be reported by the BMC to the MCZMA.

The civic administration has also requested the MCZMA to direct various government agencies,including the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB),police,revenue department,MMRDA and MHADA,to constitute their own task force to check CRZ violations.

The Centre had in January released the CRZ Notification 2011 and directed various committees formed under the new Act to identify all violations under CRZ 1991 within four months and initiate action.