Question : Salinity in Coastal Areas of Gujarat

(a) whether salinity in coastal areas of Gujarat including Porbandar is increasingbecause of rising sea levels thereby posing serious threat to aquaculture in the State;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Ministry is formulating any concrete policy in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and the Government of Gujarat in this regard;
(d) if so, the details thereof;
(e) whether the Union Government intends to send any teams/officers to study the said problem in coastal areas of Porbandar and if so, the details thereof; and
(f) if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a) to (f) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has no data on salinity in coastal areas of Gujarat.Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 administered by the Ministry, various standards for effluent discharge including the Water Quality Criteria (dissolved oxygen, bacteria, and heavy metals etc.) for safe discharge of treated effluent into the coastal waters have been laid down. The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 also prohibits the discharge of untreated waste water and effluents onto the coast/sea.

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