coastal zone management - karnatakaparisara.kar.nic.in/pdf/coastalzone.pdf · karnataka coastal...

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COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT


There is not enough water in the whole of earth’s oceans toswallow all the pollutants generated by us human beings.

-Anonymous

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STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT - 2003

Current Status

Problems

Causes

Trends and Projections

Hotspots

Impacts

Action Plan


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CURRENT STATUS

Karnataka’s coastline extends over a length of 320kilometers. It is one of the most indented shoreline withnumerous river mouths, lagoons, bays, creeks, promontories,cliffs, spits, sand dunes and long beaches. Unlike the eastcoast of India the coastal stretch of Karnataka has no majordelta formations. The shelf off Karnataka has an averagewidth of 80 kilometers and the depth of shelf break isbetween 90 and 120 meters. There are a few islands offthe coast, the major group being St. Mary’s Island, 4kilometers off the coast near Malpe.

Fourteen rivers drain their waters into the shore waters ofKarnataka. The important estuaries include the Netravati-Gurpur, Gangolli, Hangarkatta, Sharavthi, Aganashini,Gangavali and Kalinadi. Sand bars have developed in mostof the estuaries. There are a number of barrier spits atTannirbavi, Sasithitlu, Udyavara, Hoode, Hangarkatta andKirimanjeswara formed due to migration of coastal rivers.There are also 90 beaches with varying aesthetic potential.Among these, the beaches at Someshwar-Ullal, Malpe, St.Mary’s Island, Belekeri and Karwar are excellent with a potentialfor international tourism. Twenty-two beaches are classified asunfit for use due to coastal erosion, human settlements andactivities linked to ports/harbors, industries and fisheries.

PROBLEMS

The coastal zone of Karnataka is one of the better-developed geographical areas of the State with highdegree of economic development and density ofpopulation.

Occupational pressures

The settlements in the coastal region consist of 22 urbanagglomerations and 1044 villages. The occupationalpressures of the region can be attributed to agriculturalactivities, aquaculture, fish landing and processing, portmaintenance, mining for lime shell, bauxite and silica sandand coir retting. The coastline is dotted with one majorport at Mangalore, nine minor ports at Karwar, Belikund,Tadri, Honavar, Bhatkal, Kundapur, Hangarkatta, Malpeand Old Mangalore. Besides, there are 110 fish landing

Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority

The Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authorityconstituted in the year 2000 by the Government of India isresponsible for monitoring and implementing CoastalRegulation Zone Rules, bench marking of high tide line/lowtide line, preparation of local level Coastal Regulation Zonemaps, identification of ecologically fragile zones andpreparation of area specific coastal zone management plans.Karnataka Coastal Zone Management Authority functionsin liaison with the National Coastal Zone ManagementAuthority in the Ministry of Environment and Forests,Government of India. The State authority has specific powersfor protecting and improving the quality of coastalenvironment and preventing, abating and controllingenvironmental pollution in the coastal areas. The authorityis also to ensure compliance of all specific conditions laiddown in the approved coastal zone management plans.

The Department of Ecology and Environment functions asthe secretariat of the Karnataka Coastal Zone ManagementAuthority. In accordance with the provisions of the CoastalRegulation Zone notification, 1991, the department hasprepared the Coastal Zone Management Plan for Karnatakawhich was approved by the Ministry of Environment andForests in 1996. This was prepared based on remotesensing data, wherein the landward stretches of seas,estuaries and rivers, which are influenced by tidal action,are classified into three categories Coastal Regulation Zone-I, Coastal Regulation Zone-II and Coastal Regulation Zone-III for regulating developmental activities. In order toimplement the provisions laid down in the Coastal RegulationZone notifications, the department has established threeregional offices of the Deputy Conservator of Forest (CoastalRegulation Zone) in 2002 for the coastal districts. DistrictCoastal Zone Management Committees have also beenestablished in each of the coastal districts under thechairmanship of Deputy Commissioner to examine the casesof violations of the provisions of the Coastal Regulation Zonenotification and take appropriate measures to protect thecoastal environment. However, in the absence of detailedCoastal Regulation Zone maps, large number of CoastalRegulation Zone violations is reported from most part of thecoast and the enforcement officials are handicapped forensuring compliance. The Department of Ecology andEnvironment, in 2002, has initiated preparation of detailedCRZ maps by demarcating high tide line/low tide line anddifferent categories of Coastal Regulation Zone in cadastralscale to overcome certain practical difficulties at the locallevel and for transparent implementation of the regulation.In fact, Karnataka is the first state in the country, which hasinitiated the preparation of the maps in cadastral scale forthe entire coastal stretch. The preparations of these mapsis in the final stage.

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General geomorphological map of coastal Karnataka

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centres and 150 fishing villages. A single major interventionin the coastal zone is the project Sea Bird, where an areaof around 32 square kilometers is being converted into anarea with several structures.

Many coastal depressions in the vicinity of mangrove habitatsare filled up with mud scooped from lagoons to cultivatecoconut plantations. The coir retting carried out mainly inmangrove cleared areas, is a microbial process and causespollution of water, air and soil, which in turn, affects the marineresources, quality of estuarine banks and nearby beaches.

Coastal erosion

The coastal zone is relatively poor with respect to mineralwealth. The organized mining activity is limited to bauxite,lime shell and silica sand. The fresh deposits of lime shellin the estuaries and backwaters of Kali, Gangavali,Aghanashini (Tadri), Sharavathi, Gurpur, Pavenje andMulki are declining as 90 percent of the clams areharvested every year. About 50 percent of the area undercoastal zone (4,90,000 hectares) is subjected to moderatesoil erosion and 6 percent of the area (56,000 hectares)to severe soil erosion. The annual rates of soil erosionvary from 5-15 tons/hectare to 15-40 tons/hectare inmoderate to severe soil erosion areas.

The Karnataka coast is subjected to three types of erosion;occurring along the open beaches, mouths of rivers/estuaries and the tidal reaches of rivers causingconsiderable loss of land, vegetation and revenue.

About 60 kilometers of beach (19 percent of the total lengthof shoreline) is confronted with appreciable or severeerosion. The problem is relatively more severe in DakshinaKannada and Udupi coasts, where about 28 percent ofthe total stretch is critical. In Uttara Kannada region, onlyabout 8 percent of the coast is subjected to severe erosion.In many river mouths, the sand pit erodes causing shift inriver course or inlet migration.

The erosion becomes severe due to the synchronisation ofhigh flood in the river with strong wave activity duringsouthwest monsoon. The most affected locations areGangavali river mouth and areas near Honnavar, Shirali,

The Coastal Regulation Zone Notification

Government of India issued the coastal zone regulation on19 February 1991 under Section 3(1) and Section 3(2)(v) ofthe Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Coastal zone includes the coastal stretches of seas, bays,estuaries, creeks, rivers and backwaters which are influencedby tidal action (in the landward side) up to 500 meters fromthe High Tide Line and the land between the low tide line andthe High Tide Line.

High Tide Line is the line on the land up to which the highestwater line reaches during the spring tide and low tide line isthe line on the land up to which the lowest water line reachesduring the neap tide.

Activities prohibited within the Coastal Regulation Zone,include setting of industries, storage or disposal of hazardoussubstances, setting up of units dealing with fish processingand waste disposal, construction activity, discharge ofuntreated wastes and effluents from industries and cities,mining of sands, rocks except those rare minerals not availableoutside the Coastal Regulation Zone areas and facilitiesdesigned to carry treated effluents and waste water dischargesinto the sea.

However, government of India may permit storage ofpetroleum products, modernization of existing fish processingunits and drawal of ground water in certain places.

All other activities are fully regulated either by the StateGovernment or by the Government of India.

Coastal Regulation Zone I : This category includes ecologicallysensitive and important areas like national parks/marine parks,sanctuaries, reserve forests, wildlife habitats, mangroves,corals/coral reefs. It also includes the area between low tideline and the high tide line.

Coastal Regulation Zone-II: This includes areas that havealready been developed up to or close to the shoreline.

Coastal Regulation Zone III: Includes areas that are relativelyundisturbed and those which do not belong to either Category-I or II and coastal zone in the rural areas (developed andundeveloped).

Coastal erosion in Dakshina Kannada district

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Kundapur kodi, Hangarkatta andBengre. Erosion/bank collapsein the tidal reaches of rivers isalso severe and extends at leastto about 12 kilometers. This hasbeen noticed in Manjuguni andKarikodi vil lages,Pavinakureva andMavinakurve islands, Bhatkalport area, Kollur and HaladiRivers, Seethanadi nearMabukal and Ullal side ofNetravathi river bank.

Water pollution

The littering at beaches is very high and there is nomechanism for garbage clearance and disposal. The solidwaste dumping yard of Mangalore city has an area of 28.32hectares which is poorly managed. It is estimated thatabout 250 tons per day of solid waste is generated in theMangalore city of which 200 tons per day is collected anddisposed into landfill. The solid waste generated at Karwartown is of the order of 18 tons per day of which 12 tonsper day is disposed into unsecured landfill. At Udupi, thesolid waste generation is of the order of 6 tons per day ofwhich 5 tons per day is disposed as unsecured landfillwith an area of six acres. The location of the site at thewindward side here is highly adverse from the hygienicpoint of view. The unscientific disposal of the solid wasteis the case with all the other towns as well. Poor sanitaryconditions have been observed in all the fish landingcentres and fishing villages.

The near shore and estuarine waters are subjected topollution due to various reasons such as inadequatesanitation measures in adjacent areas, port activities,effluent discharge from industries, dumping of fish wastes,etc. The pollution monitoring of near shore waters off thecoast of Mangalore, Honavar and Karwar indicates thatthe highest total coliforms and faecal coliforms during May.The lead concentration, here, ranged from 21.20 to 31.50milligram/gram, the cadmium concentration from 0.31 to0.46 milligram/gram and the mercury concentration from 0.08to 0.15 milligram/gram. The marine pollution here generally

extends up to 5 kilometers and rarely up to 10 kilometersfrom the shore. The nutrient content and the coliform countsare relatively high in estuarine waters. Bioaccumulation ofpollutants in aquatic organisms, such as Mytilus edulis,Villorita cyprinoids etc are noticed. There is increased organicload in wet lands near aquaculture farms. The groundwater,in general, is affected by microbial pollution in DakshinaKannada, Udupi and Karwar districts.

Salinity

The intrusion of saline water in wells up to a distance of 1kilometer from coastline in sandy areas and up to 500meters from the tidal tract of estuaries in alluvial areasduring summer also poses problems for drinking wateravailability. The coastal alluvial aquifers are highlypermeable and are in hydraulic continuity with sea/estuarine water. Therefore, indiscriminate pumping fromwells here leads to salinity intrusion. The high level ofgroundwater exploitation and pumping in the coastal zone,accentuates the problem

The intrusion of saline water into groundwater aquifersand the ingression of seawater to the rivers/estuaries areadversely affecting the availability of potable water,especially during dry season.

Estuaries are predominant in the Karnataka coast, largestbeing the Kundapur estuary and the next being Netravathiestuary covering an area of 2550 hectares and 1920 hectaresrespectively.

Groundwater resource potential of coastal zone and level ofexploitation in 1997

Dept. of Mines and Geology, 1998

TalukGross annual GW recharge

(MCM)

Net annual GW recharge

(MCM)

Net draft (MCM)

Level of exploitation

(%)

Category of areas

Karwar 113 96 16 16 WhiteKumta 65 55 30 54 WhiteHonnawar 81 69 31 45 WhiteBhatkal 34 29 15 52 WhiteAnkola 74 63 10 16 WhiteCoondapur 252 215 71 33 WhiteUdupi 243 207 94 45 WhiteMangalore 123 104 47 45 White

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The siltation is severe in all the ports, especially at theNew Mangalore Port, which requires heavy annualmaintenance by dredging. The siltation in Karwar port isrelatively low.

Unsustainable fishing practices

The commercially important fishes in the sea aroundKarnataka are oil sardine, mackerel, cat fishes, penaeidprawns, sharks, seer fishes, anchovies and otherclupeoids, squill and squids. Karnataka has a shelf areaof 25000 square kilometers of which 7000 squarekilometers with water depth upto 50 m are extensivelyexploited for marine fisheries. The state contributes about10 percent of the total marine fish landing in the country.There has been substantial increase in the use of trawlersin recent years. In the year 2001-02, altogether about 5500trawl nets and 425 purse-seine nets have been used. Onan average, about 82 percent of the total catch is harvestedusing purse-seine ( 27 percent) and trawl nets (55 percent).The purse seine net method targets an identified shoaland the trawling activity leads to scooping of the seabottom.

According to studies conducted by Muthiah et al.(2000),the peak catch over the last 20 years from the State was2,22,779 tons in the year 1996-97 as against an estimatedmaximum sustainable yield of 1,52,000 tons. The catchper unit effort and the return on investment are declining inmarine fishery sector.

Selective scooping by trawl nets has exerted tremendouspressure on benthic organisms and their survival as theseare thrown over board and are discarded dead. The allweather and over night fishing off Mangalore hasaccelerated the decline in catfish, endemic to the southwest coast of India. In the seas around India, 22 cataloguedspecies of marine mammals occur. They visit the coastalwaters for feeding or breeding. There are also reports ofmarine turtle nesting in Devagad Guda islands off Karwar.Turtles and dolphins get entangled in fishing nets such asgill nets, trawl nets and purse seines occasionally offKarnataka coast. These are included and protected under

Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection Act) 1972 andtheir fishery is not permitted.

CAUSES

Unplanned development in urban areas and industriallocations leads to undesirable landuse practices. The removalof clay from riverbanks and alluvial plains to the tune of 30lakh tons/year and laterite and hard rocks to the tune of 22lakh tons/year adversely affect the carrying capacity of land.Similarly silica sand mining to the tune of l lakh tons/annumand beach and river sand mining also contribute to theproblem. Expanding infrastructure facilities lead to conversionof large tract of agricultural land to built-up areas. These aremore pronounced in areas adjacent to industrial centres,fish landing centres and Seabird project. Conversion andreclamation of wetlands is causing estuarine biodiversity loss.

The concentration of industries and the direct or indirectdisposal of industrial effluents and municipal drains toestuaries, rivers or nearshore waters cause water pollution.

The haphazard dumping of fish wastes near fish landingcentres, processing of fish catch and the large number ofice factories (about 200) also cause water pollution. About39 percent of the total fish catch is subjected to curing,caning and 16 percent used for fish meal, manure and oilextraction. Improper solid waste disposal and inadequate treatment of sewage contribute to the waterpollution in urban areas. The Netravathi and Gurpurestuarine rivers are considerably affected by thedischarge of sewage from Mangalore city. The wastegenerated by the aquaculture farms increases the organicload in estuarine waters.

Though rainfall in the coastal zone is heavy, about 88 percentof it is received during four months leading to disproportionaterun off. This, in turn, reduces the flow in rivers during non-rainy periods, and hinders proper flushing. Excessive siltation,consequently raises the riverbed. The reduced flow enhancesthe saline water intrusion to far upstream. Increased salinityin the river stretches affects wells in the vicinity and alluvialtracts. Increased pumping in coastal sandy areas lead tolandward movement of saline water-freshwater interface andup coning of saline water in dug wells.

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While extracting groundwater, specified spacing betweenwells is not maintained and no consideration given tosustainable yield causing over exploitation, naturalinterference of wells, deterioration of quality in sandy andalluvial tracts and lowering of water table in lateriteaquifers. The problem is compounded by drawl of waterin large quantities by major industrial establishments andabout 10,000 small-scale industries including about 200ice factories.

The excessive siltation is mainly due to poor catchmentconservation and increased sediment discharge of therespective rivers and improper flushing. The sedimentdischarge in rivers is accentuated due to the moderate tosevere soil erosion of the order of 5-40 tons/hectare/yearin respective catchment areas. The heavy siltation in newMangalore Port is mainly due to deposition of seabedmaterials brought into suspension by monsoon waves.

Coastal erosion is caused due to both natural processesand anthropogenic interventions. The unceasing act ofwind, waves, tides and currents leads to shore movementor littoral drift along certain coastal stretches. Theimbalance created or the lack of littoral material supplythus makes the land lose by erosion, which, at places willbe permanent. The concentration of wave energy due towave refraction further accelerates erosion. Anthropogenicinterventions such as coastal protection structures,breakwaters, dredging in harbors, silt traps/dams inupstream portions of rivers, removal of sand from thebeaches etc., often hinder the natural process beyondresilience limit and aggravate the problem of erosion. Theshort period waves (storm waves) rip open the beaches,taking the material away into deep water, while long periodwaves (swells) push this material back on the beaches.Permanent erosion takes place when the swell is unableto push the material back on to the shore. The flood flowin rivers flowing parallel to the coast makes the adjacentbeaches more vulnerable to erosion.The stress on marine fisheries is mainly due to theconfinement of fishing activity to the nearshore zone up to awater depth of 50 meters. The increased use of trawl netsfurther accentuates degradation of fishery. Trawling resultsin disproportionate destruction of nontarget groups along with

juveniles and sub adults of desirable fishes and other benthicorganism. Most of the by catches are of low economic value,but are vital for the food web consisting of marine shellfishesand finfishes. By catches are thrown overboard. Thediscarded bycatch include low valued ground fishes,crustaceans, anemones, sponges, echinoderms, jelly fishes,etc. besides the unmarketable juveniles of fish and shellfish.

TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS

The pollution level in inland surface water increases duringpost monsoon and pre monsoon periods. The marinepollution is not a serious problem at present except for afew occasional reports of fish kill near Karwar and algalblooms off Mangalore. The generation of waste in all theurban centres is expected to increase appreciably. InMangalore, 19 percent increase in solid waste generationis expected over the next five years. In general, the waterquality variation is cyclic. Increased stock density inaquaculture ponds beyond its carrying capacity leads toreduced fish survival and system collapse. The excessiveinput of nutrients is leading to eutrophication in certainarms of the estuaries.

The annual rate of increase in groundwater exploitation isabout 2 percent in Dakshina Kannada and 1.4 percent inUttara Kannada. Considering this and the population growth,all Taluks except Karwar and Ankola need immediate

Sand mining in Dakshina Kannada coast

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attention. There is also the possibility of increased pumpingof groundwater from laterite, sandy and alluvial aquifers.

The siltation is increasing in most of the river mouths/estuaries. However no quantitative estimate is available.The siltation is also high at New Mangalore Port Trustwhere the annual maintenance dredging varied from 1.67million cubic meters to 4.28 million cubic meters duringthe last ten years.

Intensive coastal erosion takes place from May end to middleof August, which is not continuous. There is a period ofdeposition in between and the net effect is erosion. Theaverage recession of the beach during the two year period(1998-2000) in the southern partof the coast is 6.44 meters andthe progradation in the northernpart is 4.91 meters.

The marine fish productionprogressively increased up to1996-97 (2,22,779 tons) andthereafter, showed a decliningtrend (1,28,405 tons in 2001-02)over the last five years the totalcash return however, remainedalmost the same. The trendindicates that the annual catchis getting stabilized around theestimated maximumsustainable yield. There isreduction in the population ofseveral estuarine and marine

organisms, including commerciallyimportant fish like the catfish.

HOTSPOTS

The inventory and evaluation of the statusof resources and environmental qualitybased on secondary data enabled theidentification of different hotspots withrespect to major environmental issues of the

ecozone.

IMPACTS

Destruction of the mud flats/tidal flats, mining of sand nearestuaries and removal of topsoil has caused imbalancesin the natural environment. The removal of clay from theriverbanks and alluvial plains has accelerated the topsoilremoval and this, in turn has resulted in increase of waterlogged areas. Though there is prolific growth of clams,deposition of shells is negligible as almost 90 percent of allavailable clams are harvested annually.

Projected level of groundwater exploitation

Hotspots

1998 2002 2007 2012Karwar 16 22.6 37 52 WhiteKumta 54 60 75 90 DarkHonnawar 45 51 66 81 Grey Bhatkal 52 58 73 89 DarkAnkola 16 22 37 52 WhiteCoondapur 33 41 60 79 GreyUdupi 45 53 72 90 Dark Mangalore 45 53 66 80 Grey

TalukLevel of exploitation (%) Area

category

Environmental issues Hotspots

Occupational pressureSomeswar, Mulur, Tekkatte, Uliargoli, Kapu, Hejamadi and Tonse, Pavenje (Mulki), Aghanashini (Tadri) and Kali (Karwar) estuaries and urban areas of Mangalore, Udupi and Karwar,

Water pollutionBaikampadi industrial estate, Panambur, urban centres of Mangalore, Udupi, Karwar etc. and Binga (Karwar), Kumta (Aghanashini), Honavar (Sharavathi), Heregutti (Ankola)

Saline intrusion Nethravathi, Pavanje and Kali rivers and near-shore aquifers in Udupi.

Siltation Estuarine zones of Nethravathi, Gurpur and Kali rivers; Honavar, Kundapur and Mulki and ports of New Mangalore and Karwar

Coastal erosionUllal, Tannirbavi, Bengre, Sasihitlu, Udyavara, Hoode, Kundapur kodi, Hangarkatta, Kirimanjeswara, Honavar, Shirali, Manjuguni, Karikodi etc.

Unsustainable marine fishery Off Dakshina Kannada coast

Non compliance of the provisions of Coastal Regulation Zone

Talapady, Ullal, Mangalore-Panambur, Bengre, Someswar, Kapu-Malpe, Kundapur-Gangoli, Marvanthe, Baindur-Shirali, Bhatkal-Murdeswar, Honavar-Dhareswar, Kumta, Gokarna, Ankola and Karwar.

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Coastal Regulation Zone Map

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which in turn accentuates the concentration of pollutants inwet lands. As a result, estuaries will be subjected toeutrophication.

Increased pumping beyond the sustainable yield of dugwells in laterite terrain will lead to lowering of water tableand in sandy and alluvial terrain to declining hydraulichead. In the long run these will lead to drying of wells inlaterite terrain and saline water intrusion in sandy andalluvial terrain. Expansion of prawn farming destroyedconsiderable area under mangrove, not withstanding themarginal efforts for mangrove regeneration in the wetlandsnear Kundapur. The waste generated by the aquaculturefarms increases the organic load in the tidal canals andnear-shore waters. Increased stock density in ponds beyondthe carrying capacity of tidal water body can result in systemcollapse and resultant reduced growth and survival of cultured

Local level Coastal Regulation Zone maps

An area upto 500 mtrs from the High Tide Line towards the land is declared as Coastal Regulation Zone as per the CoastalRegulation Zone notification. However, it is restricted to 150 to 100 meters on either side of the rivers, creeks and backwatersdepending on the width. In case of rivers, creeks and backwaters the Coastal Regulation Zone extend on either side upto a pointtill the tidal influence is felt and based on the salinity of five parts per thousand (ppt) in the river water during the driest period ofthe year.

Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Plan was prepared in the year 1996 in accordance with the Coastal Regulation ZoneNotification of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The plan was supported by satellite-based maps inthe scale of 1:25,000. Owing to the scale the maps were not user-friendly. As a result enforcement of the provisions of CoastalRegulation Zone Notifications was difficult. Locating a particular site in the map was not possible due to lack of survey numberdetails in the maps. To overcome this the State Government has entrusted the work of delineation of High Tide Line, Low TideLine and other regulatory lines both on the ground and on the locally used cadastral maps to the National Hydrographic Office,Dehradun.

The map given covers a part of the area of Sasihitlu, Pavanje and Padu Panambur villages of Mangalore Taluk, DakshinaKannada district along a stretch of around 3.5 kilometers. This map clearly indicates the regulation zone for both the coastal andriverine areas. Village boundary and individual survey numbers can be clearly seen. High Tide Line is marked with a thick redcolour line with the letters High Tide Line and the Coastal Regulation Zone boundary is shown in red line with letters 500 meters.Within the Coastal Regulation Zone, the area hatched with red dots indicates Coastal Regulation Zone I, the area with greenhorizontal line is Coastal Regulation Zone II and the area with blue vertical lines is Coastal Regulation Zone III. Area in continu-ous blue indicates the river course and the sea. Authorised structures such as churches, temples, roads etc., which existed priorto the inception of Coastal Regulation Zone Notification (1991) wherever available, are also indicated. The reference pillars arealso plotted in the map. These maps are prepared after digitizing the cadastral maps that are in the scale varying from 1:7920 to1:3960.

On the ground, the reference pillars have been established all along the coast and on either sides of the rivers, creeks andbackwaters at a distance of every 250 meters. Each of these pillars is of 1.5 meters height above the ground level and paintedin yellow. These pillars are numbered and inscribed with the details pertaining to the shortest distance to the High Tide Line anddirection of the pillar from the High Tide Line.

These local level Coastal Regulation Zone maps will be an effective tool for the general public and local authorities who have theresponsibility of enforcing the provisions of Coastal Regulation Zone Notification. These maps, based on the survey numbersprovide the distance of a particular site from the High Tide Line and the category of Coastal Regulation Zone to which the surveynumber belongs. This would indicate the nature of activities that are permissible and prohibited.

The increased nutrient input has led to high incidence ofalgal bloom off Dakshina Kannada coast. The marinepollution, though low at present, may lead tobioaccumulation of toxic chemicals in the long run. Thematrix transfer of heavy metal toxicity through consumptionof sea food is a possibility. The dredging leads to habitatdisruption due to removal of bottom sediments and/oraccumulation of sediments. The water quality changeconsequently leads to habitat inhibitions. As a result ofdredging, re-suspension of bottom sediments,accumulation/dispersion of toxic substances, oxygendepletion, reduced primary production, temperaturealteration, increased nutrient level and bed load movementtake place. This will alter the benthic community system.High stock density leads to increased pathogenicity andoutbreak of fish diseases in aquaculture farms. Excessivesiltation in estuaries has resulted in improper drainage,

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Prioritisation matrix

fish, increased pathogenicity due to water and soil pollutionetc.

The non-acceptability and non-compliance of the coastalregulation zone rules and lack of integrated coastal zonemanagement causes significant environmental degradation.The varied forms of violation ranging from industrial andresidential structures, aquaculture units, bio-mining andplantations subjects the coastal zone to several biotic andabiotic factors. The lack of awareness on the provisions of

coastal regulation zone regulations and its administrativeprocedures is leading to considerable delay in implementingdevelopment programmes.

ACTION PLAN

The ongoing practice of seawall construction is leadingto end erosion. Construction of seawalls andbreakwaters should be restricted to areas where it is

Department of Ports and Inland Waterways

The major programmes of the department include construction of minor ports, landing and berthing facilities, breakwaters etc.,dredging of ports, modernization of navigational aids and facilities, implementation of inland water transport system andconstruction of seawall structures. The anti sea erosion works are in progress since 1979 In the 10th plan anti erosion work ofabout 7km stretch is envisaged. The coastal erosion problem is neither uniform nor induced by the same processes at differentlocations, giving rise to different erosion scenarios requiring different solutions. But only one type of intervention, constructionof sea walls, is made at present to combat beach erosion. The scheme lacks proper planning based on scientific studies andsite-specific evaluation. Regular beach profiling to understand the beach dynamics and plan protection requirements are scanty.The breakwater structures constructed were not subjected to impact assessment and no environmental management plans arein place to mitigate the adverse impacts due to the structure. The department is poor in monitoring the environmental andecological aspects while carrying out maintenance dredging. The water quality gets adversely affected due to accumulation oftoxic substances as a result of re-suspension of sediments during dredging. In a dredging site, the ecosystem response will bein the form of habitat disruption, habitat inhibition or stimulation due to water quality changes etc affecting phytoplankton,benthic community and movement of larvae and juvenile form of marine life. The required set up for monitoring re-suspensionof sediments, accumulation/dispersion of toxic substances, oxygen depletion, reduction in primary production, temperaturealteration, change in nutrient level, benthic community alteration and bed load movement is absent in the department. However,no port has a well documented on-site and off-site emergency preparedness plan and regular review of emergency preparedness.

Scale 1=low, 3=medium, 5=high

Impact on Public health

Loss of Biodiversity

Impact on Vulnerable

Groups

Productivity loss

Impact on Critical

Eco-systems

Irreversibility / Reversibility Urgency Total

Occupational pressure 5 3 5 3 5 3 3 27

Water pollution 5 3 3 3 3 3 5 25Salinity intrusion 3 1 3 1 1 5 3 17Siltation 1 3 3 3 5 3 3 21Coastal erosion 1 3 5 3 5 3 5 25Unsustainable marine fishery 3 5 5 5 3 3 5 29

Non compliance of the provisions of Coastal Regulation Zone

3 5 5 5 5 3 5 31

21 23 29 23 27 23 29 175

Environmental Problems

Socio-Economic/Ecological Impacts

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extremely necessary for protecting vital installations.Since a beach is the best protection for the coast,technological interventions like appropriatelydesigned artificial reefs, submerged breakwaters,beach nourishment, strand vegetation etc, which canregenerate the beach should be preferred overconstruction of sea walls.

Though all the major industries are separatelymonitoring their emission load, effluent quality andwastewater discharge quantity, a composite picture ofthe pollution load of major industrial belts and thesurrounding areas are not known. The outflow fromsewage treatment facilities of the local bodies and theaquaculture farms to the nearby estuaries has highorganic pollution potential and is not monitoredregularly.

Construction of breakwater/seawalls should besubjected to comprehensive environment impactassessment.

All beaches should be declared as zero waste areasand plans should be initiated for achieving this withinthe next two years.

In the first phase, ecologically sensitive beaches likeMalpe beach, St Mary’s, island, Marvante , Ulal,Gokarna, Karwar need to be declared as zero wastebeaches.

It is necessary to conduct a detailed environmentalappraisal and holistic environmental overview of thefragile coastal zone of Karnataka.

Carrying capacity study of the region should beconducted so as to determine the supportive capacityof the resources and assimilative capacity of theenvironment, based on which optimum resourceallocation can be made and long term sustainabledevelopment plan can be evolved.

The degradation of coastal sand dunes has alreadyspoiled the turtle nesting grounds towards Karwarregion.

A study along the entire coastal belt to estimate theecologically sensitive areas should be done with specificreference to turtle nesting sites.

The mangrove afforestation as done in Kundapur andother regions should be extended to other potential

estuarine areas as well.

There should be limited use of low lying fields for paddycultivation and aquaculture since they may cause salinewater intrusion in groundwater aquifers.

A study should be executed by the Department ofFisheries in collaboration with Fisheries Survey of Indiaand Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute todevelop database covering fishery and non-fisheryfactors to evaluate and monitor the biodiversity stockpositions, fluctuations etc in the near and offshorewaters.

The present practice for solid waste management invarious local bodies are mostly using landfill method,which may not be viable in the long run due to limitedland resources. Therefore, alternate technology, whichhas recovery component and makes use of limited landarea and quick disposal methods should be adopted.

Existing catchment area conservation measures forwest flowing rivers are not adequate. Extraction of waterfrom these rivers is on the rise and the silt load is alsoincreasing. Consequently, there is a reduction influshing in these rivers leading to increase in thepollution load. Therefore, watershed managementprogrammes in these river basins should beimplemented on priority. Similarly the number of damsthat these river systems can sustain can be studiedand optimized.

Environmental clearance to projects in the coastal zonemay be given only after considering the project basedenvironment impact assessment findings in thebackground of carrying capacity of the region or basedon strategic environmental assessment.

Aquaculture Authority and Karnataka State PollutionControl Board should carry out monitoring of industrialareas on a cluster basis especially in the dry season.

In order to ensure sustainable development of thecoastal zone, it is necessary to evolve an IntegratedCoastal Zone Management Plans within the ambit ofcarrying capacity of the region.

Campaigns to generate awareness among the localcommunities together with training to local level officialsshould necessarily be initiated and continued.

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Columnar joints in Basalt rock,St. Mary’s island, Udupi District.

Coastal Macrofauna

coastal zone management - karnatakaparisara.kar.nic.in/pdf/coastalzone.pdf · karnataka coastal...

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