Wilbur Menezes
uch of the last few days have passed with a loud chorus of voices lambasting the draft Goa Coastal Zone Management Plan (GCZMP). Amidst the usual and expected opposers (God bless them) such as prominent NGO’s and other associations, the most intriguing was the objections raised by members of the ruling dispensation. Prompt Governmental activism maybe ? Lets hope. In fact the ruling attack was so dominant and quick that the functioning and role of the opposition members itself was left redundant
SIGNIFICANCE OF GCZMP AND WHY WE NEED IT
Let us now try and understand the significance of such coastal management plans and the pivotal role they play for any territory having coastal exposure. Our magnificent and tiny little Goemhas a coastline of about 160 kms. Goa’s seven major rivers are the Zuari, Mandovi, Terekhol, Chapora, Galgibag, Kumbarjua canal, Talpona and the Sal. These geomorphical features leave large portions of our state on the coastline or near some water body form.
To quote from the recent draft report as per the CRZ Notification 2011 by National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM): “The State of Goa has a key agenda to promote development and tourism along its coastline, which inadvertently causes adverse impacts on the environment. Most of these activities are unplanned, leading to an imbalance in ecological sustainability. It is evident that developmental activities need to be regulated and managed, so that deterioration of the coastal environment can either be minimized or avoided.”
It is therefore a no-brainer and dogmatic that in times of utter disregard of civic sense our coasts and their use deserve and demand some sort planning and management that strikes a balance between the interest of the coastal communities, marine resources (flora and fauna), socio-economic activities (shacks, watersports, jetties, aquaculture etc.) and state duties/activities (waste disposal, public access, public lavatories, disaster management and other safety facilities).
HOW WE REACHED THIS POINT
As per, Re: Draft report by National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) May 2019: “Since 1991, protection of India’s long coastline has been sought through regulatory notifications under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification was first issued on 19.2.1991 under sub-section (1) of section and clause (V) of subsection (2) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 with the aim to provide comprehensive measures for the protection and conservation of India’s coastal environment. The notification was reissued in 2011 (published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii) of dated the 6th January, 2011). By this notification, a specified width of the coast is sought to be protected by restricting the setting up and expansion of any industry, operation or process and manufacture or handling or storage or disposal of hazardous substances.”
It also states, “The objective of the 2011 Notification is to ensure livelihood security to the fisher communities and other local communities living in the coastal areas; to conserve and protect coastal stretches, its unique environment and its marine area and to promote development in a sustainable manner based on scientific principles taking into account thedangers of natural hazards in the coastal areas and sea level rise due to global warming. For the implementation of the CRZ Notification, 2011 the High Tide Line (HTL) and Low Tide Line (LTL) need to be demarcated to prepare the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). The CRZ Notification regulates high impact activities on the coast and in maintaining coastal sustainability. As per the notification, CRZ is the land area from High Tide Line (HTL) up to 500 m on the landward side along the sea front and 100 m or width of the creek for the tidal influenced water bodies. The inter-tidal zone and water bed area up to 12 nautical miles from the Low Tide Line (LTL) are also included under CRZ Notification 2011.The coastal zone, consisting of ecologically sensitive areas and other geo- morphological features play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the coast. These ecological sensitive areas that are extremely vulnerable have to be managed judiciously by maintaining a balance between ecology and development.”
It further states: “Vide para 5 (ii) of the CRZ notification 2011, the coastal states/UTs have to prepare the CZMPs in 1:25,000 scale by engaging reputed and experienced scientific institution(s) or the agencies including the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), MoEF&CC, Chennai. The information on HTL and LTL provided by NCSCM with the approval of the MoEF&CC will be used as base data. For the local level application, CZM maps are to be prepared at the cadastral level (1:4000) for the use of local bodies and other agencies to facilitate implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Plans.The draft CZMPs (1:25000) or local level CZM (1:4000) map shall be submitted by the State Government/UTs to the concerned Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) for appraisal, including appropriate consultations, and recommendations in accordance with the procedure(s) laid down in the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
It concludes by saying: “The State Government/UTs shall submit the draft CZMPs/local level CZM maps to MoEF&CC along with its recommendations on the draft CZMP/local level CZM maps after incorporating the suggestions and objections received from the stakeholders.”
A basic and bare reading of the above raises fundamental questions that beg for answers – Why wasn’t the Goa Coastal Zone Management Plan (GCZMP) not prepared since 2011?Who is accountable and responsible for the delay?
Interestingly, the draft report makes no mention of any previous plan either i.e before the 2011 notification during the period of the 1991 notification. So was there ever any planning to begin with? It is a fact and we would living in a fools paradise to not accept that there is and was a strong lobby to ensure that the GCZMP would never see the light of day. Simply because. Inter-alia, the passage or notification of the GCZMP would make life rather difficult for anyone trying to commit illegalities/irregularities (mostly illegal constructions within the CRZ areas) given that the GCZMP would comprehensively map existing structures.
Ultimately it took the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) wrath that led to all coastal state Govt.’s being directed to submit their CZMP’s to the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) before a deadline that was missed and subsequently extended to end of August 2019. Now do you understand why the said draft GCZMP plan was so hastily prepared and then forcibly shoved down for public acceptance despite the legal framework envisaging a collaborative process from the local level?
WHAT WAS LEFT OUT AND THE WAY AHEAD
To be fair to the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), they did try their best despite having an unreasonably short time. Besides all the errors and mismatch in identification and non-identification of geomorphic features (sand dunes, water bodies, mangroves etc.) and anthropogenic features (jetties, fishing villages, houses etc.) there are two other major areas, which, I believe, haven’t been given due importance or for that matter not even been considered.
Firstly, tourism: It is utterly shocking that the draft plan hasn’t even considered the aspects of tourism such as marking of shack set-up areas on the coasts clearly identifying sewage lines and garbage disposal areas, marking of water sports activity zones, swimming zones for the public etc.
Secondly, Environment buffer increase: Areas in the CRZ within which fresh efforts would be made to restore or increase, inter-alia, the sand dune cover and mangrove plantations.
In fine, the draft GCZMP and its entire exercise appears to be botched with no due consideration of factors that ought to be duly considered in times of utter civic mismanagement and rising sea levels. A wise man once said, “All the dykes and dams in world could never keep the water out”. It is therefore urged that the GCZMP be meticulously prepared after true consultation and timely inputs from stakeholders (Tourism Department and TCP included), rather than a eleventh hour plan prepared on the heels of a judicial deadline that will take us down a slippery slope to coastal mismanagement.
