Coastal Eco-systems, Vulnerability, and Sustainability: Social Science

Perspectives

Hemantkumar A. Chouhanand

D.ParthasarathyDepartment of Humanities and Social Sciences

IIT Bombay

Motivations for CRZ laws? Why regulate?

The study of coastal zones – need for inter – and multi – disciplinary studies

Development vs environment, biodiversity vs urbanization, tourism vs ecology, livelihoods vs conservation

Coastal zones in India: densely population, economically dynamic, ecologically sensitive and significant

1. Vulnerability

Risk and vulnerability: nature of risk; community and individuality; importance of the state;

The problem of inequality: prismatic vulnerability Ecologically fragile, socially marginal, highly

vulnerable

Assessing and mitigating vulnerability – the dilemma of infrastructure development in coastal zones

2. Governance

Multiple agencies in planning, implementation, disaster management

DP, SRA, SWM, Water, Transport – the invisibility of coastal issues

Principal-Agent problem, conflict of interests, Moral hazard

3. Inequality

Conflicts: rich vs poor or poor vs poor? Politics of aspirations Migration The context of ‘development’

Gender, ethnicity, age

4. Commons

Coastal zones as commons: land, sea, mangroves, wetlandso customary and modern management practiceso free-rider and “tragedy of the commons”? (Hardin,

1968)

New design principles? (Ostrom)o micro, meso, and macro levels (Nested

Institutions)

Participatory governance: take advantage of constitutional provisions (74th amendment)

In the name of “development” Tourist Industry, Infrastructural Projects violates CRZ I, in all 9 states (Equation 2008).

The Esselworld Amusement Park at Gorai in Mumbai:

destroyed 700 acres of mangrove fields by spraying chemicals CRZ I.

Thermal Power Plant at Dahanu: reclaimed vast wetland of more than 1,000 acres for

construction of the plant and dumping of ashes. Worli–Bandra sea-link bridge in Mumbai: 70 acres of estuary area of the Mithi river at Mahim

have been reclaimed.

CRZ Violations in Mumbai

In 1965-66 govt. began to reclaimed area for constructing residential and commercial buildings for the rich.

Fishing community 200-250 families protested this reclamation. As part of protest the dependant families shifted their residence at Badhwar Park.

Encroachment by migrants: Garib Janta Ngr, Mahatma Phule Ngr, and Dhobi Ghat .Not dependant on fish catching.

Sea became dump yard for their debris. Leads to pollution of sea water, stop fish breeding.

Violations of CRZ in Badhwar Park Cuffe Parade Area

CRZ Violation & CPRA garden

Water Pollution S F forced to go for deep fishing.

fishermen finding hard to catch even with net also.

Smaller nets get entangled with the bigger trawler an Persian nets. Boundary not demarcated.

Beautification: CPRA garden, covered sixty (60m) metres of reclaimed land in the seaside which is violation of CRZ I.

Environmental Damage: Due to cutting of mangroves, the ecology of the coastal area is being destroyed.

Impacts:

Violation in 134 Acres of land in Mulund-Thane Belt

Declared an Important Bird Area (IBA)

More than 60,000 birds seen annually,

both resident and migratory. Notable among them: Greater and

Lesser Flamingo, Pied Avocet, Wooly-necked Stork, Painted Stork etc.

Land reclassified from CRZ-I to CRZ-III.

Handed over for construction of an SEZ

in prime mangrove location.

Concerned Govt. Departments:

MCZMA, MCGM, Environment

Department

Jeopardy: Dumping of solid waste on

nearby mangroves by the MCGM!

Water Pollution: Main reasons the industrial construction

◦ outlet of the sewerage pipe line directly into sea water and destruction of mangroves

◦ Polluted water leads to increases of mosquitoes, where fisherman cannot catch the fishes

Decrease in species of fish:◦ In such a situation fish cannot live and cannot generate new species

Varieties of fishes available in this creek were:◦ Kala fish (Pila pea), ◦ Jitadi (Sneeper), ◦ Chimbori (Crabs), ◦ Small sine (Sins), ◦ Karpal (Tiger pounds), ◦ Boi (silver fish), ◦ Kullim (Tinny streen) in this creek◦ Only the Kala fish remains. ◦ Sneeper and other species of fish are no more to be found.

Impacts:

1 km stretch between Joggers’ park and Bandra Bandstand

80 per cent small fish catching

Violations:

◦ A number of illegal constructions◦ 2 & 3 three storey bungalows right on the beach in the last 7 years

◦ builders and their construction process violate the CRZ norms.

Beautification Project:

The BMC officials have come up with Rs. 4 Crore beautification plan for area with an aim to improve its environmental conditions.

Chimbai Koliwada

Water Pollution:

No land is available for parking boats and the market area, selling their fishes on beach

◦ taken over by some elite group association Advanced Legislative Management Society (ALM) and BMC

No land available drying area:◦ Ground available near the Jogger’s Park which leads to

the Chimbai pumping station available for drying fishes. But this plot is also taken over as part of the beautification plan.

fight between small fishermen and elite groups

Impacts:

Sewri Mangrove Park declared by BPT in 1996.

Was supposed to develop the area to showcase

mangroves and Flamingo habitat.

Park consists of 15 acres of mangroves in the

mudflats between Sewri and Trombay.

Reality: 30 Hectares of mangroves completely wiped

out and the entire belt in danger of getting destroyed.

Cause: The improper location and storage of coking

coal in the immediate locality.

Sewri Creek

Impacts: Water pollution: The discharges from the Bombay Port Trust include

coal and oil which are directly dumped into the sea water. Due to this the mangroves are drying and being destroyed

Decrease in fishing activity and alternative livelihood

Boi, Bangda, Tarla, Tingala, Pale, Sewad, Kolambi, Pamplet, Goli, Rawas, Toli, Wam were available. But now they are catching only crabs in deep sea water.

Construction & Encroachment: Though BPT is encroaching land inside sea.

Natural and are a renewable resource.

Buffer Zone between the land and sea.

Protect the coast against erosion due to wind, waves, water currents and protect coral reefs, sea-grass bed and shipping lanes against siltation

clean air by absorbing pollutants in the air.

Host a number of threatened or endangered species, different animal species- mammals, reptiles, amphibians and bird- offer nutrients to the marine food web and provide spawning grounds to a variety of fish and shellfish

Functions and Importance of mangroves

Catching Small Fish only

monsoon fish catching is ban.

Size of nets used is small

Mangroves are not cut down ruthlessly

Follow some unwritten law

Manage fishes according to availability of species small fishes are not target.

Overexploitation of natural resources not happen by fishing community, Pressure of Urban development

Fishing Communities and their sustainability implications

In 2009, 24 complaints were registered◦ MCZMA had issued a letter to concern authority. ◦ No one complaint was taken action against any violations

In 2010 there were 42 complaints ◦ only 10 complain were under directive process, rest of

complain were issued letter only

In the year of 2011 there were 99 complaints◦ Only 3 complaints where MCZMA has stopped work◦ 20 complaints were considered in the meeting of

MCZMANO ICZM Plan

MCZMA & BMC against Violation

Objectives of CRZ not fulfilled enforcement agencies have been extremely

apathetic with implementation of CRZ.

It deliberately ignores issues of public participation

so many areas in Mumbai are polluted by projects and leading to lack of fishes.

The natural resource of fish is destroyed by big trawler as well as per sian net owner.

Government tried to satisfy builder lobby, fishing community and environmentalist through CRZ 2011

Conclusion:

Environmentalists concern is more to save or preserve biodiversity of coastal area rather than livelihood of dependent people of coastal areas.

This lack of concern for dependent communities is leading to growing commercial exploitation, reduction in the loss of biodiversity, continued alienation of indigenous communities, and the creation of administrative, policy and legal measures which remain paper tigers (Wani, Taraporvala, 2012).

It also has implications for local participation in biodiversity and mangrove sustainability issues, due to the absence of local champions for environmental causes, which remain an elite or middle class issue.

There are several institutions and agencies functioning separately

If the state is serious about environmental protection of coastal areas, it is time that the fishing communities are made integral stakeholders in CRZ implementation such that livelihood issues and ecosystem conservation can both be efficiently addressed.

Contd…

Thank You!!!