Fishermen smell something fishy in Fadnavis’ plan to ease coastal rules

The fishing community smells something fishy about Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ plan seeking approval from the central government to tweak the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 2011.

When the notification was amended in 2011, it gave the state government bodies which could include civic bodies and the development authority among others the stake over 51% of the redevelopment plan. However, with the new proposal, private stakeholders, who will develop the area will get a higher stake, while the same of the government will be reduced.

“We had objected to the proposal even when the amendment was introduced in 2011. One cannot have development in Koliwada as the cluster redevelopment follows near the coastal areas, and rights over our ancestral property are eventually threatened,” said P Madhuri of Juhu Koliwada Moragaon Gaothan Vistaar Samiti.

Community members also said that they require open spaces around their houses for fishing activities. He said reclamation and construction in coastal areas damage the environment, and will lead to the change in provisions for them because their Koliwada falls under CRZ 3 (less developed Koliwada in terms of infrastructure).

Another member of Juhu Tara Koli Samaj Matsyudyog Sahakari Sangh said that development activities carried out by government affect indigenous people.

“The government wants to take away salt pans and affect the livelihood of people there and build houses for encroachers on that land. We have been demanding demarcation of Koliwadas, so that we don’t face the issue of encroachment on our land,” said the member.

According to the Gaothan expansion scheme of the state government, gaothans and Koliwadas are entitled to expand the boundaries of their locality by 200 metres every 10 years.

In this case, the community has been questioning the government’s motive of seeking approval for redevelopment in their area, while they have been demanding the expansion and reconstruction rights of their houses.

“The move is just to support the builders' lobby, and make their projects viable because the proposal is not in public interest and koliwadas cannot be considered under any development scheme. Any project that will come by sea will fetch builders a premium,” said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee, Watchdog Foundation.