"India Tourism Watch": Resistance against the Dilution of Coastal Protection Mechanisms

According to a draft CRZ Notification 2010, issued by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests in April 2010, the current protection mechanisms for fragile coastal ecosystems are to be further diluted. Since the introduction of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification in 1991, there have been several amendments providing for exemptions to allow economic activities along the coast. At the same time, the existing regulations continue to be violated. The new deregulation effort would particularly benefit the tourism industry.

Civil society and local communities reject the current draft notification and demand a process towards a comprehensive law as the final objective, with strengthened provisions for the protection of the environment and the customary rights of coastal communities, with an interim arrangement retaining the original CRZ 1991. A new internet portal, "India Tourism Watch" has been initiated to strengthen the national campaign and support civil society networking. "India Tourism Watch" is a joint initiative of "Kabani - the other direction" and "MovingRepublic".

Further information: www.indiatourismwatch.org