Public hearing on Visakhapatnam’s CZMP on September 2

Public hearing on Visakhapatnam's CZMP on September 2 Published – August 20, 2026 11: 55 pm IST – AMARAVATI.

Key points

• He remarked the Centre had notified the CRZ Notification, 2019, and the Coastal Zone Management Aims were being revised accordingly by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).
• The State administration had submitted revised CZMPs for 12 coastal districts to the MoEF&CC Technical Scrutiny Committee.
• Manohar remarked the revised CZMP for Visakhapatnam could be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) after completion of the mandatory public hearing.
• The Technical Scrutiny Committee directed submission of all relevant documents to the NCSCM for review and consideration of the proposed reclassification.

Public hearing on Visakhapatnam's CZMP on September 2 Published – August 20, 2026 11: 55 pm IST – AMARAVATI. Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar. FILE PHOTO Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO.

In practice, the mandatory public hearing on the revised Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for Visakhapatnam district has been scheduled for September 2, clearing a key procedural hurdle for its submission to the Centre for final approval, Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar remarked in the Assembly on Thursday on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister (Panchayat Raj and Rural Development) Pawan Kalyan.

Mr. Manohar pressed all public representatives to educate the public and encourage participation in the hearing for the development of the region, on the occasion.

Replying to a starred question raised by Ch. Vamsi Krishna Srinivas, MLA, Mr. Manohar remarked the revised CZMP for Visakhapatnam could be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) after completion of the mandatory public hearing. The hearing had earlier been postponed twice.

Notably, the Minister remarked Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances for public amenities, tourism infrastructure, coastal protection works and other activities were granted by the MoEF&CC based on recommendations of the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority. After which the APCZMA appraised them under the applicable CRZ regulations, project proponents were required to submit proposals through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal.

For context, the State administration had submitted revised CZMPs for 12 coastal districts to the MoEF&CC Technical Scrutiny Committee. After detailed deliberations on August 3, 2026, the committee recommended the revised aims for the 12 districts to the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) for final approval.

Nevertheless, Visakhapatnam district remained pending due to the mandatory public hearing. The administration has additionally sought consideration of reclassifying the coastal stretch from the Madhurawada boundary to Bheemunipatnam from CRZ-III to CRZ-II.

For context, the proposal was submitted to the NCSCM and MoEF&CC, citing the need to facilitate infrastructure development, tourism and economic expansion in the area.

For context, the Technical Scrutiny Committee directed submission of all relevant documents to the NCSCM for review and consideration of the proposed reclassification. The Minister remarked the administration would proceed with the required processes after completion of the public hearing.

In short, public hearing on Visakhapatnam's CZMP on September 2 is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.