HRF Criticizes Andhra Pradesh's Proposal to Reclassify Visakhapatnam Coastal Zone

The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has criticized the Andhra Pradesh government's proposal to reclassify parts of Visakhapatnam Beach Road from Coastal Regulation Zone III (CRZ-III) to CRZ-II. HRF members argue this change, intended to boost tourism, could weaken environmental protections, threaten coastal ecology, reduce disaster resilience, and impact traditional fishing communities. They emphasize that CRZ-III areas serve as vital ecological buffers against cyclones and erosion, and reclassification may allow increased construction in these sensitive zones.