On 2nd July 2018, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) had come up with a notification No. S.O. 3197(E) dt. 2nd July 2018 stating, inter-alia, that the regulatory regime of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2011 is being removed from areas between the Hazard Line and 500 m landwards from the High Tide Line in case of coastlines as well as from areas between the Hazard Line and 100 m in case of tidally influenced water-bodies. This notification was passed despite the process of calculation & demarcation of Hazard Line being an ongoing one pursued by the MoEF & CC along with the Survey of India and without any public hearing/consultation. Furthermore, this change was thus effected despite the fact that consultation process has been ongoing for a draft CRZ Notification 2018 passed by the same Ministry which also address, inter alia, the same Hazard Line issues and considerations. The MoEF&CC Notification dated 2nd July 2018 has been challenged by the Dakshinbanga Matsyajibi Forum (DMF) through an Appeal (Number 4 of 2018) placed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Eastern Zonal Bench at Kolkata. The same was heard by the L/d Justices of the Tribunal on 27th August 2018 through Video Conferencing. In course of the Hearing, the L/d Justices, in appreciation of the seriousness of the issue, decided to have the matter heard by a Higher Bench, being the Bench of the Chairperson, National Green Tribunal, also through Video Conferencing. The L/d Justices also directed the MoEF&CC to also place their views on the objections raised by DMF before the same Bench. The date of the next hearing, before the Chairperson’s Bench, has been fixed on 18th September, 2018.