PORVORIM: Even though only 9.25 per cent of land in the state remains for growth and development, with the rest being part of the protected regime, the State government has proposed to the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEF & CC) to include only 59 villages out of the 99 it identified, as eco-sensitive areas (ESA). The State has also recommended an additional ten contiguous villages, with ecology similar to the Western Ghats, to be notified as ESA.
Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral told the House that post the first draft notification issued in March 2014 declaring 99 villages as ESA, the State government has made various representations which were not considered while issuing repeated draft notifications, including the latest one on July 6.
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Replying to the calling attention motion moved by Poriem MLA Deviya Rane, the Minister said that if required, a delegation of stakeholders would call upon the central government to put across the case.
He pointed out that out of Goa’s total geographical area of 3,702sq km, the State is hardly left with 342 sq km area (only 9.25%), which can be made use of for growth and development. He said that the rest comprises forest area, CRZ, agricultural land and green cover.
Cabral said that the government had made a representation to the Centre to include 59 villages that meet the required criteria, in the Draft Notification for the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Areas, in order to prevent overlapping protection regimes and to maintain uniform boundaries and contiguity. “In addition, the State Government has requested the Ministry to include 10 villages which are contiguous and have similar ecology,” he said adding that all the proposed 69 villages for inclusion are already a part of the protection regime. He said that the State Government has requested the Union Ministry to exclude the remaining 40 villages from the final notification as they are non-contiguous, and also do not meet the criteria for the Western Ghats.
“The State Government has also informed the Ministry that while notifying Wildlife sanctuaries as well as Eco Sensitive Zones in the State of Goa, natural boundaries such as rivers, streams, nullahs and roads have been taken into consideration, and therefore part of the villages are already within the protection regimes,” Cabral said.
Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar also supported the motion and brought to the notice of the government that in Canacona and Sanguem, entire village panchayats have been declared as ESA. “This is harmful,” he said.
