Twenty-nine grama panchayats, five municipalities, and the Kozhikode Corporation are included in the draft of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) in Kozhikode district.
The plan has been prepared for implementing the amended Coastal Regulation Zone Act of 2019 that will define the extent and scope of development works along the coastal belt. The panchayats are Tuneri, Edacheri, Eramala, Azhiyur, Onchiyam, Chorod, Maniyur, Thiruvallur, Velam, Cheruvannur, Thurayur, Thikkodi, Moodadi, Keezhariyur, Naduvannur, Kottur, Balussery, Ulliyeri, Chengottukavu, Chemanchery, Atholi, Thalakkulathur, Chelannur, Kakkodi, Olavanna, Perumanna, Peruvayal, Mavoor, and Kadalundi. The municipalities are Vadakara, Payyoli, Koyilandy, Ramanattukara and Feroke.
These were revealed in an order issued by the State government on April 26. The draft plan was prepared by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Chennai, for the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA). Detailed maps of the affected areas have been published on the KCZMA website.
People can raise their complaints or grievances in 30 days from the date of publishing of the plan. They may be emailed to kczmasandtd@gmail.com or submitted in the grievances section of the website coastal.keltron.org. A public hearing is scheduled at the Kozhikode District Collectorate on June 1, when people can submit their suggestions or raise complaints.
Under the CRZ rules, the coastal areas have been classified into four zones, and human activities are restricted based on various parameters.
Meanwhile, a meeting of councillors representing wards in coastal areas of the Kozhikode Corporation was held on Saturday ahead of the public hearing. Since the public hearing was the final chance to point out lapses in the CZMP maps, the councillors were told to carefully examine the data. It was pointed out that the suggestions from each ward could be submitted. Some of the councillors demanded that the local bodies be given the right to relax the norms for constructing houses in the coastal belt.
