New island rules: IPZ 2019 | 27 Mar 2019

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified Island Protection Zone (IPZ) 2019 for Andaman and Nicobar.

Changes in the IPZ are aligned with the Niti Aayog's proposal for holistic development in the Islands.
The government’s planning to open up the blue economy and sustainable harnessing of ocean resources.

It allows eco-tourism projects 20 meters from the high tide line (HTL) in smaller islands like Baratang, Havelock, and Car Nicobar.
In case of larger islands, 50 meters from the HTL is permitted.
It allows for eco-tourism activities like mangrove walks, tree huts and nature trails in island coastal regulation zone(ICRZ) IA (ICRZ 2018: ICRZ IA, provides areas classified as the most eco-sensitive region of the islands which includes turtle nesting grounds, marshes, coral reefs etc)
The notification also allows for construction of roads, roads on stilts by reclaiming land in exceptional cases for defense installations, public utilities or strategic purposes in eco-sensitive zones.
In case construction of such roads pass through mangroves, a minimum three times the mangrove area destroyed during the construction process shall be taken up for compensatory plantation of mangroves elsewhere.

It brings the norms for Andaman and Nicobar at par with Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 2018 norms for other islands close to the mainland and backwater islands where a No Development Zone (NDZ)is only 20 meters from HTL.
Previously, IPZ 2011 stipulated an NDZ of 200 meters from the HTL for all islands.
Only pipelines, transmission lines, trans-harbor links to be laid in the eco-sensitive zone were permitted. Now road construction is allowed.

Note:

High tide line (HTL) is defined as line up to which highest high tide reaches in spring tides.
It is delineated by walking over or remote sensing data or by helicopter survey.
The Low Tide Line(LTL) is the limit up to which the lowest low tide recedes during spring tide.