Coastal zone authority in favour of salinity reassessment of rivers

Stage has been set for the reassessment of salinity in rivers that are flowing beside a few local bodies, which are seeking relaxation in Coastal regulation zone regime.

The Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) has agreed to relook into the salinity of some rivers during the driest season of the year following the demand from some local bodies in the district.

According to the CRZ notification, “CRZ shall apply to the land area between High Tide Line to 100 metres or width of the creek whichever is less on the landward side along the tidal influenced water bodies that are connected to the sea and the distance up to which development along such tidal influenced water bodies is to be regulated shall be governed by the distance up to which the tidal effects are experienced which shall be determined based on salinity concentration of 5 parts per thousand (ppt) measured during the driest period of the year.”

If the salinity is found less that 5ppt during the driest month, those local bodies would automatically go out of the CRZ regime. The coastal local bodies had been demanding relaxation in the regime following difficulties faced by the residents to construct houses and other structures in holdings close to rivers.

After Cheranalloor panchayat, which passed a resolution last week, Varapuzha panchayat is also planning to take the same route to ask the KCZMA to re-check the salinity in river that flows past its land.

“The resolution, which was passed unanimously by the Cheranalloor panchayat, will be mailed to the KCZMA,” said K.K. Suresh Babu, panchayat president. “In case of Varapuzha panchayat, a meeting of the panchayat committee to be held next week will pass the resolution,” said Mercy Johnny, president of the civic body.

K.K. Ramachandran, member secretary of the Authority, said no local body had approached the authority with the demand.

“If they desire so, the KCZMA shall entrust the task with the National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram, which prepared the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for Kochi Corporation and Maradu municipalities. The reassessment of salinity could be done in April, if it doesn’t rain during the month. Salinity has to be assessed in the driest season of the year,” he said.

The Centre has already notified the salinity of rivers in Kochi Corporation and Maradu municipality as part of the CZMP. Salinity was measured in 2014 for preparing the plan, he said.