Though around 66 panchayats were given the benefits of Coastal Regulation Zone –II (CRZ-II), the zone where relatively least restrictions were enforced and identified as areas falling within the municipal limits, there would be restrictions in some areas in selected panchayats as suggested by the Department of Atomic Energy, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Replying to a calling attention motion in the Assembly on Monday, Mr. Vijayan said CRZ II is the zone where few restrictions were enforced under the Coastal Regulation Zone Act, and only municipalities and corporations are generally included in the CRZ II. Compared to the rest of the country, population density and infrastructure development in almost all the grama panchayats adjacent to the coastline in Kerala are urban in nature.

Against this backdrop, the State government notified 175 panchayats as Legally Designated Urban Areas and requested the Centre provide the benefit of CRZ II. Though a favourable decision was taken in the case of 66 grama panchayats, the exemption will be restricted to some areas proposed by the Department of Atomic Energy in selected panchayats. The government will take further steps in the case of the remaining grama panchayats to grant the benefit as requested by the government, said Mr. Vijayan.

The draft final version of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) of the 10 coastal districts of the State will be submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change when the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Chennai, ratifies the draft CZMP, fisheries management plan, tourism management plan, and land use map submitted by the State, said Mr. Vijayan.