S.O. 873(E), Coastal Regulation Zone Amendment, 1998

Purpose and background

The Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, issued S.O. 873(E) on 30 September 1998 after the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration reported difficulties faced by local people because of restrictions on sand mining in the Coastal Regulation Zone. The Central Government examined the issue and decided to amend S.O. 114(E), dated 19 February 1991, which had declared coastal stretches as Coastal Regulation Zone and restricted the establishment and expansion of industries, operations and processes within that zone.

S.O. 873(E) relies on provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986. The cited rules allow the Central Government to dispense with the usual notice requirement when it considers that doing so is in the public interest.

Key changes

S.O. 873(E), dated 30 September 1998, makes the following changes to the earlier Coastal Regulation Zone notification:

• In the proviso to paragraph 2, sub-paragraph (ix), wording referring to the Public Works Department and the committee is replaced so that the Public Works Department and the committee are referred to separately.
• The date 30 September 1998 is replaced with 30 September 1999.
• The reference to the requirement of the 1998-99 annual plan is expanded to cover the requirements of both the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 annual plans.
• In Annexure I, under the heading for Coastal Regulation Zone IV in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the date in the relevant sand mining provision is changed from 30 September 1998 to 30 September 1999.

Who is affected

S.O. 873(E) directly concerns the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration, local people affected by restrictions on coastal sand mining, the Public Works Department and the committee referred to in the amended provision. The text does not announce a Tamil Nadu-specific amendment or change any identified Tamil Nadu deadline.

Tamil Nadu property buyers and owners should note that S.O. 873(E) amends the wider 1991 Coastal Regulation Zone notification, but its stated changes concern the Andaman and Nicobar Islands sand mining arrangements. The document does not contain parcel maps, property boundaries or an individual development approval.

Earlier amendments recorded

The Ministry of Environment and Forests records that S.O. 114(E), dated 19 February 1991, had previously been amended on 18 August 1994, 31 January 1997, 9 July 1997 and 20 April 1998.