Coast Management : Tajpur

Udaipur Beach

Yesterday, I was at Tajpur / Digha for a day. I made site inspections and meeting with Executive Officer Digha Shankarpur Development Authority (DSDA) Mr Sujan Datta, and technical officers and surveyors.
As per law, coastal zones are categorized into four zones, CRZ-I,II,III and IV (CRZ=Coastal Regulation Zone). Closest to the sea, CRZ-I is a "No Development Zone" while restrictive development is allowed in CRZ II, III and IV as per conditionalities. For Tajpur, the maps for the CRZ zones were not in existence and proposals would often come requesting permission to develop hotels / resorts etc. After prolonged efforts, finally, at the formal request and payment of costs to Institute of Wetland  a map on scale 1:1,25,000 has been prepared for a 7 km radius around Tajpur. I had an extensive study of the map and the site with officers yesterday. We decided that we would facilitate prospective investors to set up resorts only after following CRZ and Land Use (LUDCP) norms. We decided to allow consultation with the maps at DSDA office so that tour project developers would have a fair idea of what is allowed even before spending any time and effort. DSDA would then help them in moving with formalities of Forms 1,2 etc that are needed under Coastal Regulations, the Pollution Control clearances that are needed and also permissions for mutation, building construction etc. I may add that this was a long-pending demand of the local hoteliers' association in Tajpur and they had even come to meet me in a group at UD some time back (August 2015, Tajpur Sea Coast Hoteliers Welfare Association)
* * *
Clippings:

Asian Age dt 15 May 2016

Aajkal dt 15 May 2016

Ei Samay dt 15 May 2016

HT dt 13 May 2016