Sri Lanka Consolidated Acts Sri Lanka Consolidated ActsInterpretation
| 42. In this Act, unless the context otherwise require" " coast" means the border of land which is adjacent to the sea and not covered by sea water ; " coast conservation" means the protection and preservation of the coast from sea erosion or encroachment by the sea, and includes the planning and management of development activity within the Coastal Zone : " Coastal Zone " means that area lying within a limit of three hundred metres landwards of the Mean High Water line and a limit of two kilometers seawards of the Mean Low Water line and in the case of rivers, streams, lagoons, or any other body 6f water connected to the sea either permanently or periodically, the landward boundary shall extend to a limit of two kilometers measured perpendicular to the straight base line drawn between the natural entrance points thereof and shall include the waters of such rivers, streams and lagoons or any other body of water so connected to the sea ; "coastline " means the line of intersection of the plane of water at Mean Sea Level with the coast; " development activity": means any activity likely to alter the physical nature of the Coastal Zone in any way, and includes the construction of buildings and works, the deposit of wastes or other material from outfalls, vessels or by other means, the removal of sand, coral, shells, natural vegetation, seagrass or other substances, dredging and filling, land reclamation and mining or drilling for minerals, but does not include fishing ; " environmental impact assessment" means a written analysis of the predicted environmental consequences of a proposed development activity, and includes a description of the avoidable and unavoidable adverse environmental effects of the proposed development activity, a description of alternatives to the activity which might be less harmful to the environment of the Coastal Zone, together with the reasons why such alternatives were rejected, and a description of any irreversible or irretrievable commitments of resources required by the proposed development activity ; "foreshore" means that area of the shore of the sea between the Mean High Water and the Mean Low Water; "land " includes the sea bed and anything resting on the sea bed or shore of the sea ; "local authority" means any Development Council, Municipal Council, Urban Council, Town Council or Village Council, and includes any Authority created and established by or under any law to exercise, perform and discharge powers, duties and functions corresponding or similar to the powers, duties and functions exercised, performed and discharged by such Council; : "material" includes minerals, turf, seagrass and any other vegetation ; "Mean High Water line " means plus 0.6 metres from the Mean Sea Level; ;" Mean Low Water line " means minus 0.6 metres from the Mean Sea Level; "scheme of work " in relation to coast conservation or the Coastal Zone means any work of construction, alteration, demolition, excavation, reclamation, repair or maintenance and includes dredging and drilling, the removal or dumping of any material or the sowing or planting of vegetation, for the purpose of protecting the Coastal Zone from sea erosion or encroachment by the sea, or for the development of the Coastal Zone ; "sea" includes the water of any channel, creek, bay, estuary or any river extending up to the furtherest point to which the tide flows ; " straight base line " means the base line specified in the Proclamation made under section 2 of the Maritime Zones Law, No. 22 of 1976, declaring the territorial sea of Sri Lanka, being the base lines from which the limits of such territorial sea are measured ; and " territorial sea" means the area of sea declared to be the territorial sea of Sri Lanka by the Proclamation made under the Maritime Zones Law, No. 22 of 1976. |