THE tourism industry in Kerala is on tenterhooks as it awaits approval of the state's Coastal Management Plan (CMP) by the Union Environment Ministry belatedly submitted—recently—in accordance with the provisions of the 1991 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) law. Kerala, along with Andhra Pradesh, Guj-arat and Karnataka, was pulled up by the Supreme Court in April this year following a public interest litigation for not submitting the CMP even five years after the notification of the law.
One of the main provisions of the notifi-cation is prohibition of any new construction 500 m from the high tide line in areas classified as CRZ 1 and CRZ 2. And the tourism industry is cut up over the regulation as it perceives the rule as a virtual death blow to beach tourism. Says B.M. Khan, secretary of the Kovalam Resort Owners' Welfare Association: "Though there is need for regulation of construction along beaches, a common yardstick cannot be applied to the entire country. With population density in Kerala being very high, the limitation should be as minimal as possible." The state government agrees.
The CMP has sought to reduce the 500 m restriction to range between 50 m and 200 m in different areas. The approval of the CMP would also lead to the constitution of the proposed Coastal Development Authority to enforce development along the coast in accordance with CMP provisions. But the level of optimism over getting approval is low. Says a senior bureaucrat: "I don't think the Environment Ministry will agree—after the Supreme Court quashed various modificat-ions made earlier." This could spell trouble for Kerala's booming tourism industry.
