With large number of non Goans including
foreigners being involved in purchase of land along the coastal belts,
especially for commercial purposes, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority
(GCZMA) is contemplating imposing a ban on sale of such land in Coastal
Regulation Zones (CRZ) areas to outsiders.
The GCZMA is toying up with idea of imposing a ban
on sale of land or houses to non-Goan communities in the No Development Xone
(NDZ) areas as described in the CRZ notification, 2011 as amended that is 0-200
meters from the coast and 0-100 meters from the NDZ of the bank of the rivers
and areas along the estuaries/creek.
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The Authority in its recent meeting held on April
4 has decided to seek a legal opinion on the matter before drafting the
proposal and placing it before Government for approval.
Sources said that as per CRZ notification 2011,
there is a provision wherein the traditional coastal community should not sale
or transfer its land or house to non-coastal community or non-Goan community.
“It is been observed that there are large scale purchases of land in the CRZ
areas by Non-traditional coastal communities or non Goan or foreigners for
commercial purpose. This is also banner under the CRZ rules,” sources said.
“The Authority is now working towards this
regulations stricter implementation in Goa,” sources added.
Sources said that the traditional coastal
communities like fisherfolk are to large extent involved in selling their land
or house to non Goans for commercial purpose, which helps them to fetch good
income. “This is illegal. GCZMA may also conduct survey to identify such sale
of land, ensuring that such structures are not regularized,” sources said.
Right from small restaurants, hotels, huts and
shacks, or small kiosk are seen to be owned by non Goans along the entire
coastal belts of North and South.
Union Ministry for Environment and Forest, through
a notification issued in 2011, with a view 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 through sustainable manner based on scientific
principles taking into account the dangers of natural hazards in the coastal
areas, sea level rise due to global warming, does hereby, declared the coastal
stretches of the country and the water area upto its territorial water limit as
CRZ.
