SICOM Project Launched Today
The Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Shri Jairam Ramesh said the major national initiative to protect our coastal ecosystems will start from states of Orissa, Gujarat and West Bengal. Inaugurating the office of the Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) here today , the Minister said this is for the first time that a professional body with experts in various aspects of coastal science and management.
The Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project consists of four components. Under the first component, mapping, delineation and demarcation of hazard lines will be taken up by the Survey of India. Besides this, mapping, delineation and demarcation of environmentally sensitive areas, capacity building of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the State Coastal Zone Management Authorities, and a nation-wide training programme will be taken up. A National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) will also be opened in Anna University, Chennai.
Under the second component, pilot studies will be undertaken on the ICZM approach for the coastline of Gulf of Kuchchh. Further, transplantation of corals in the Gulf of Kuchchh and sewage treatment facilities for Jamnagar district would be undertaken. Under the project, a Green Action for National Dandi Heritage Initiative (G.A.N.D.H.I.) will also be developed. The Rs 25 Crore project will focus on overall development and conservation of the environment of Dandi and the surrounding villages based on Gandhian Principles. Among other things, 100 ha of mangroves and 50 ha of bio-shield will be planted along the 8 km coastline of Dandi. The budget for Gujarat is Rs 298.34 crores.
The third component which includes Orissa has budget of Rs 300 crores. This will include capacity building of the state level agencies and institutions, preparation of an ICZM plan for the coastal sediment cells in the stretches of Paradip-Dhamra and Gopalpur-Chilika; regional coastal process study, and priority investments. It will also support capacity building in the area of coastal management and wetland research.
The fourth component will mainly address the coastal zone management issues in three sectors in West Bengal, namely, Sunderbans, Haldia and Digha-Shankarpur.The budget for West Bengal is Rs 300 crores.
The Government of India and the World Bank have signed a loan agreement for the implementation of Integrated Coastal Zone Projectat a total cost of Rs 1156 crore. The World Bank will contribute an amount of Rs 897 crore and the Government of India will contribute Rs 177 crores and the States will contribute Rs 80 crores. The World Bank will fund the ICZM project for five years. An estimated 3.56 crore people will benefit from the three state components. Total number of indirect beneficiaries from the project is estimated 6.30 crore people. Other states and Union Territories will be considered in next phase of the project.
KP