The Shailesh Nayak Committee was a six-member committee. The Central government constituted it in June 2014 under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC). It was set up under the Chairmanship of Dr Shailesh Nayak, who was the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The committee examined the issues of the coastal states and union territories of the country with respect to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011. The committee submitted its report in 2015. The report made many recommendations. 

The Shailesh Nayak Committee is an important topic under the Environment Section of the General Studies Paper 3 of the UPSC IAS Mains Exam. 

In this article, curated by the Testbook UPSC Coaching team, we will discuss in detail the background and recommendations of the Shailesh Nayak Committee.

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Download PDF on Shailesh Nayak Committee Environment Notes for UPSC Exam 

What is the Shailesh Nayak Committee?

The Shailesh Nayak Committee is a six-member committee that was constituted by the Central government on 17 June 2014 under the Chairmanship of Dr Shailesh Nayak, Secretary of MoES (MoES is now MoEFCC), with the mandate of examining the issues of the coastal states and union territories of the country with respect to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011.

• The purpose of the Shailesh Nayak Committee was to examine the issues posed by coastal States/UTs with reference to CRZ Notification, 2011.
• The other members of the Shailesh Nayak Committee were:
  • Mr Shashi Shekhar
  • Prof. R. Ramesh
  • Dr M. Baba
  • Shri Hardik Shah
  • Dr A. Senthil Vel
• The committee submitted the findings and recommendations in its report in 2015 after consultations with all the states and concerned stakeholders.
• The committee suggested that the central government’s control over numerous coastal areas should be decreased.
• The committee’s proposal suggested providing a boost to the tourism, real estate sector and port construction sectors.

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Recommendations of Shailesh Nayak Committee

Some of the major recommendations and proposals of the Shailesh Nayak Committee are discussed below:

• To reduce ‘No Development Zone’ (NDZ): NDZ should be 50m from the High Tide Line(HTL) for rural areas with a population density of more than 2,161 people per square kilometre, and it should be 200 metres away from the HTL in all other regions.
• Tourism Development: The committee has advised approving the construction of tourist facilities and other structures inside the NDZ to boost tourism.
• Decentralising the Powers: The Shailesh Nayak committee reports proposes to give local governments, state governments, and union territory governments more authority by devolution of power, as numerous states have requested.
• To Identify Ecologically Sensitive Areas:
  • The committee mentions the designation of “ecologically sensitive areas” (ESAs) under CRZ I, which includes mangroves, beaches, coral reefs, and other coastal habitats.
  • It recommends that states and union territories should create coastal zone management plans (CZMP) in accordance with the committee’s recommendations and guidelines.
  • The various state/UT governments are required to notify all such ESAs under the Environment Protection Act of 1986.
• Reclamation of Sea Bed Area: Reclamation of the seabed area in the CRZ IV category is also mentioned by the committee’s report for “ports and harbour, fisheries-related activities, and other required infrastructure in the larger public interest such as bridges, sea-links on stilts, roads, important national installations related to coastal security, and tourism.”
• To allow housing infrastructure: To permit the construction of housing infrastructure, the development of slums, ports, tourism, harbour, and fishing-related industries in the CRZs.

Also, check out the article on PJ Nayak Committee here.

Who is Shailesh Nayak?

Dr Shailesh Nayak was the Secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The MoEF (now designated as MoEF&CC) formed a six-member Committee on 17 June 2014 under his Chairmanship of him to examine the issue of CRZ.

• Dr Nayak has also served as director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, INCOIS, Hyderabad, India.
• He has been acting as the program director for initiatives in the fields of ocean research, technology, resources, polar science, weather services, and ocean science and modelling.

Impact of Shailesh Nayak Committee Recommendations

The Shailesh Nayak Committee has recommended various changes by acknowledging all the crucial issues. However, there are certain Impacts also which are associated with these recommendations. Some of the impacts are discussed below:

• Environmental Impact: The local population will be more at risk from tsunamis and other natural disasters if development operations are permitted so close to the coast. The marine environment and the coastal ecosystem may be harmed by overexploitation in the name of development. Allowing building projects can also result in the destruction of mangroves and other coastal trees that serve as the first line of defence against cyclones, tsunamis, and other disasters.
• Economic Impact: According to the International Collective in Support of Fisheries, any change in the 2011 notification will directly affect 3200 marine fishing villages and 1.5 million people whose livelihood depends on fishing and related activities.
• Governance Impact: The uniformity, effectiveness, and competence of state town planning authorities are called into doubt by the transfer of development authority in the CRZ II zone (built-up cities and towns) from the environment department.
• Secrecy Issues: The CRZ notification revisions are being made without consulting all parties, which is contrary to democratic values.

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UPSC Practise Questions on Committees and CRZ

Q1 Consider the following statements regarding the Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZs) in India:

• Coastal Regulation Zones are defined under the Environment Protection Act 1986.
• It includes an Intertidal zone and an area up to 500 meters from the High Tide Line (HTL).
• Projects related to the development of atomic energy are prohibited in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZs).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

• 1 only
• 2 only
• 1 and 3 only
• 1,2 and 3

Q2 In view of a recent Supreme Court order, consider the following features of coastal regulation zones in India as per the CRZ Notification:

• CRZ-1: Exploration and extraction of natural gas is permitted selectively.
• CRZ-2: Unauthorized structures are allowed to be constructed in this zone.
• CRZ-4: Fishing is permitted in this zone.

Choose the correct matches :

• 1 and 2 only
• 2 and 3 only
• 1 and 3 only 
• 2 only

Conclusion

The Shailesh Nayak Committee has acknowledged that certain crucial baseline data, such as the definition of high and low tide lines and the coastal zone boundaries, are ambiguous, which has impacted the creation of Coastal Zone Management Plans.

The coastal states and union territories presented opinions based on the Shailesh Nayak committee’s recommendations, and the CRZ 2018 notifications were released.

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