MoEF proposed River Regulation notification non-implementable: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik

BHUBANESWAR: Proposed central notification on River Regulation Zone, which seeks to declare river stretches and floodplain as conservation zones and regulate activities in these areas, would prevent progress of developmental activities in Odisha and is "non-implementable" in its present form, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi today Patnaik requested him "not to be in haste" in implementing the proposed notification.

"...And urge upon you to ask the Ministry of Environment and Forest and CC (Climate Change) to have detailed discussions with all states covering all aspects of the proposed notification," he wrote.

Stating that the Odisha government has already submitted its concern to the ministry, Patnaik said the draft notification on River Regulation Zone issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under Environment (protection) Act, 1986, will cause problem for states.

The draft notification seeks to declare river stretches and floodplain zones as river conservation zones and prohibit/ regulate a large number of activities in these areas.

Three types of zones along the river banks have been identified - Prohibited Activities Zone (RCZ-PA), Restricted Activities Zone (RCZ-RAI) and Regulated Activities Zone (RCZ-RAII), Patnaik said.

Essential developmental activities like construction of jetties, repair and maintenance of roads, removal of sand from river bed, navigational facilities, erosion control measures, pumping out of groundwater, construction of residential/ institutional/commercial buildings for schools, dispensaries, recreational facilities are proposed to be governed by the new notification.

Odisha has a network of rivers covering about 12,000 km, Patnaik said, adding about 4.5-5 km on both sides of the rivers and floodplains are proposed to be covered by the River conservation zone under the Environment (Protection) Act.

Therefore, approximately 108,000 sq km out of the state's total area of 156,000 sq km will be affected by the proposed notification, the Chief Minister said, adding such measures will prevent progress of developmental activities in the state.