SHWETA KAMAT
PANJIM: With a large number of non-Goans, including foreigners, involved in the purchase of land along the coast, especially for commercial purposes, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) is contemplating imposing a ban on the sale of land in Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) to outsiders.
GCZMA is toying up with the idea of imposing a ban on the sale of land or houses to non-Goan communities in No Development Zones (NDZ) as described in the CRZ notification, 2011 as amended, that is 0-200 metres from the coast and 0-100 meters from the NDZ of the bank of the rivers and areas along the estuaries/creek.
The Authority at its meeting on April 4 decided to seek legal opinion on the matter before drafting the proposal and placing it before the government for approval.
Sources said that as per the CRZ notification 2011, there is a provision wherein the traditional coastal community should not sell or transfer 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-Goans or foreigners for commercial purpose. This is also banned under the CRZ rules,” sources said and added, “The Authority is now working towards stricter implementation in Goa.”
Sources said that the traditional coastal communities like fisher folk are to large extent involved in selling their land or house to non-Goans for commercial purposes, which helps them fetch good income.
“This is illegal. GCZMA may also conduct survey to identify such sale of land, ensuring that such structures are not regularised,” sources said.
Right from small restaurants, hotels, huts and shacks, or small kiosk are seen to be owned by non-Goans along the coastal belts of North and South.
The Union Ministry for Environment and Forests, through a notification issued in 2011, with a view to ensure livelihood security to the fisher communities and other local communities, to conserve and protect coastal stretches, its unique environment and its marine area and to promote development through sustainable manner based on scientific principles, declared the coastal stretches of the country and the water area up to its territorial water limit as CRZ.
