Sri Vijaya Puram: Andaman and Nicobar Chief Secretary Gyanesh Bharti has formally launched the official website of the Andaman and Nicobar Coastal Zone Management Authority (A&NCZMA), providing citizens, government departments and project proponents with a centralised platform to access information on coastal regulations and environmental management.
The website was launched on November 13, 2026, in the presence of M. Rajkumar, IFS, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (CRZ & FC) and Member Secretary of A&NCZMA; Commissioner-cum-Secretary Chanchal Yadav (IAS: 2008: AGMUT); and other senior officials.
The portal provides information on the Authority’s functions, coastal regulatory provisions, notifications, guidelines, official orders and updates. It also makes information relating to coastal clearances and conservation initiatives accessible to different stakeholders.
What Does the A&NCZMA Website Offer?
The official portal brings together several categories of information relating to coastal regulation and management in the Union Territory.
Key features include:
- Regulatory information: Notifications relating to Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) regulations.
- Project clearances: Records of coastal regulation clearances and related project documents.
- Meeting records: Notices, agendas and minutes of the Authority’s meetings.
- Coastal management plans: Approved and draft Island Coastal Zone Management Plans.
- Orders and guidelines: Office memoranda, circulars, official orders and procedural guidelines.
- Public access: Grievance-related information and compliance reports.
The platform is intended to help citizens, institutions, project proponents and government departments find relevant coastal regulatory information at a single location.
What Is the Andaman and Nicobar Coastal Zone Management Authority?
The A&NCZMA is a statutory authority constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
It is responsible for protecting and improving the quality of the coastal environment in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and preventing, reducing and controlling environmental pollution in regulated coastal areas.
The Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration serves as its ex-officio Chairman, while the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (CRZ & FC) functions as its ex-officio Member Secretary.
Its responsibilities include:
- Examining project proposals against approved coastal management plans and applicable regulatory provisions.
- Making recommendations to the competent authorities on project approval.
- Regulating development activities in coastal areas.
- Monitoring and enforcing coastal regulation provisions.
- Examining complaints and alleged violations of environmental regulations.
- Reviewing proposals concerning changes to coastal zone classifications and management plans.
The Authority also plays a role in implementing the Island Coastal Regulation Zone framework, which governs development and environmental protection in the islands.
Who Is Gyanesh Bharti?
Gyanesh Bharti is a 1998-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre. He assumed charge as Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration on August 18, 2026. Bharti holds a graduate degree in Mathematics, a postgraduate qualification in Operations Research and an MBA in International Business from Delhi University.
Before his present assignment, he served as Senior Deputy Election Commissioner at the Election Commission of India from September 2025 to August 2026. He also held the position of Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development from June 2024 to August 2025.
His earlier assignments include serving as Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Deputy Commissioner of both Nicobar and Andaman districts.
