Consider the following statements regarding the Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZs) in India: Coastal Regulation Zones are defined under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. It includes an Intertidal zone and an area up to 500 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL). Projects related to the development of atomic energy are prohibited in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZs). Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is 1 only.

• Coastal Regulation Zones are provided in the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
  • Hence statement 1 is correct.
• The coastal areas of seas, bays, creeks, rivers, and backwaters which get influenced by tides up to 500 m from the high tide line (HTL) and the land between the low tide line (LTL) and the high tide line have been declared as coastal regulation zone (CRZ) in 1991.
  • Hence statement 2 is not correct.​
• Activities that can cause damage to the coastal ecosystem are prohibited in the Coastal Regulation Zone except:
  • Those directly related to the waterfront or directly needing foreshore facilities and
  • Projects of Department of Atomic Energy​
  • Hence statement 3 is not correct.​

• The coastal regulation zones have been declared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change under the Environment Protection Act 1986.
• While the CRZ Rules are made by the Union environment ministry, implementation is to be ensured by state governments through their Coastal Zone Management Authorities.
• Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification was first issued in 1991 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 with the mandate to take measures to protect and conserve our coastal environment.

• Recently, under the draft CRZ Notification, 2018 RZ limits on land along the tidally influenced water bodies have been proposed to be reduced from 100 meters or the width of the creek, whichever is less, to 50 meters or the width of the creek, whichever is less