A National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench, headed by chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar, warned all state and union territory governments that if they failed to submit their respective Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs), they would be liable for an exemplary cost of Rs five lakhs, which would be recovered from the salary of the defaulting officers concerned.
“Within three months thereafter, that is by July 31, 2018, the Environment Ministry shall issue approval in regard to the fixation of hazard line and CZMP for the respective states, covering the entire coastal area. Now, if the officers and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change commit a default, they shall also be liable to be proceeded against, in accordance with the law,” the bench said.
See also: Coastal Zone Management Plan: NGT grants final chance to MoEF
The green panel also granted liberty to the Environment Ministry to approach the tribunal, if any of the states defaulted. “However, the Ministry of Environment and Forests would not be permitted to contend non-cooperation from the states as the reason for delay, if any, in compliance of this deadline in this order,” it said.
The NGT had earlier said the authorities were primarily shuffling the blame between the states and the centre, with the execution of the direction being ‘kept in abeyance’, without any justifiable reason. The direction came, on a plea filed by one Mehdad and others, seeking an expeditious framing of CZMP for different states and UTs such as Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu. Coastal zone management involves managing coastal areas, to balance environmental, economic, human health and related activities.
