Coastal Zone Management Plan: Constructed Houses will get Building Number
Additional concessions for Panchayats within 8 km from the city

With the approval of the Coastal Zone Management Plan by the Union Ministry of Forests and Environment, panchayats within a radius of 8 kilometers from the city will get more concessions. Houses already constructed will get numbers from the local bodies. Restrictions on pokkali paddy bunds and the land surrounding mangroves are also relaxed. Varapuzha, Cheranallur, Kadamakkudi Mulavukad,  Njarakkal,  Elamkunnapuzha,  Nayarambalam,  Chellanam, Kumbalangi,  Kumbalam Panchayats will get more benefits with the transition from CRZ 3 to Section 2 of the Act.

                 The other panchayats covered by the Act are Vadakkekara, Chendhamangalam, Puthenvelikara, Chittatukara, Pallipuram, Kunnukara, Karumalur, Kottuvalli, Ezhikkara, Kuzhuppilly, Edavanakkad, Alangad, Kadungallur, Udayamperoor, Amballur. Paravur, Eloor, Kalamassery, Tripunithura, Trikkakkara, Maradu Municipality and Kochi Corporation will come under CRZ jurisdiction.

                The building restriction which was 200 meters from the maximum tidal range can now be considered as the 1991 approved building limit in these Panchayats. When roads and buildings also become boundaries, huge entanglements of control can be avoided. Although it took 6 years to implement the 2019 Act, many houses were given permission for construction considering the provisions of the Act. These can now be regularized.

                There is also the relaxation of not having to approach the Coastal Zone Management Authority for completed buildings and construction permits. Local bodies can grant permission for buildings up to 3000 square feet area.

According to 2011 census, Panchayats with a population of 2161 in a square kilometre fall under category 3 A of the Act. But Kerala demanded that more Panchayats should be included in zone 2 considering the urban nature. 10 Panchayats of the district were included and 15 Panchayats were left out in this zone.

Try for Concessions

The Panchayats are turned to urban in character after the zoning has been done on the basis of 2011 population. The provision of the act is to revise the Coastal Zone Management Plan every 5 years. The approved plan itself comes 6 years after the law came into force. So the plan may need to be revised soon.