Coastal People’s Right to Life Movement (CPRM), an organisation for coastal communities, has urged the Puducherry government and the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) to protect the 6.11-km coastal stretch affected by the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) and cancel all real estate projects permitted in the no-development zone.

In its fact-finding report, CPRM warned that the CZMP’s approval of real estate development on the 6.11-km coastal stretch threatens fishing communities’ access to coastal areas as well as ecologically sensitive zones, and is in violation of the National Green Tribunal (NGT)-mandated 5.3-km no-development zone.

“We demand the immediate protection of fishing communities, coastal areas, and the 5.3-km no-development zone. The coastal stretch is critical for fishing communities in Puducherry, Cuddalore, and Villupuram. Permitting real estate development here threatens their livelihoods, and will result in irreparable damage to ecologically sensitive areas,” said S. Ramachandran, State secretary of the Puducherry unit of CPI (M).

The 2024 CZMP allows construction, real estate, and industrial activities in zones overlapping with the NGT-mandated no-development area. This is in violation of the CRZ Zone IV provisions, which prohibit development within 5.3 km from the high-tide line in ecologically sensitive areas, Mr. Ramachandran said.

According to the fact-finding report, only 60% of the common assets in fishing villages have been registered, while 551 acres of coastal land in Puducherry and 175 acres in Karaikal remain unregistered. In addition, fishing zones covering 610 square nautical miles have not been registered, and coastal lands have not been allocated to meet the long-term housing needs of the fishing villages.

CPRM urged the State government, Ministry of Environment, Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC), Coastal Zone Management Authority, and NCSCM to conduct a fresh high-tide and low-tide line survey using GPS and satellite imagery. The survey findings should be incorporated into the CZMP before any development activities are permitted.

The government should ensure the fishing communities’ access to coastal areas is protected. It should implement sustainable development practices that align coastal development with environmental protection, CPRM said.

It also urged the government to fully enforce the no-development zone mandated by the NGT and conduct public hearings before any approval of the CZMP.