MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: In spite of the High Court of Bombay at Goa asking the State government to finalise its Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) as early as possible, the latter seems to be set to fail to do so once again as it is in the process of seeking more time to complete it.
“We will write to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) seeking a time of two months to finalise the CZMP. We will make the same request to the ministry during the meeting of States likely to be held in the month of October. We will seek time till December this year,” Secretary (Environment) Arun Kumar Mishra told O Heraldo.
It is pertinent to note that Goa has been lagging behind the other States in finalising the CZMP.
The Ministry of Environment on January 18, 2019, directed all coastal states and UT to update their Coastal Management plans (CZMP) framed under the 2011 CRZ notification. It stated all projects on the coats will have to be assessed as per the updated Coastal Management Plan aligned with the 2019 CRZ notification. If not completed by October end, the projects on the coasts - private and government - will be stalled.
The Goa government has entrusted the work of preparing the draft to the National Centre for Earth Science Studies.
The Centre had asked the States and Union Territories to prepare or update their CZMPs by getting services from reputed scientific institutions or agencies in consultation with stakeholders concerned. The CZMPs were supposed to be updated in a way
In September last year, the NCZMA had asked the States and Union Territories to expedite updating or revision of the CZMPs by December 2022 but the Goa government could not finalise the Plan.
In 2019, the MoEF&CC, New Delhi issued Coastal Regulation Zone notification 2019 according to which all States and Union Territories were expected to revise or update their CZMPs framed under the CRZ notification 2011 and submit the same to the Government of India for approval.
However, activists reacted sharply to the State government's plan to seek more time alleging that given the ‘insincerity’ in the department two months' time would not be sufficient for completion of the CZMP as the 2011 CZMP itself took 11 years to get approved.
Goa Foundation Director, Claude Alvares said, “I don't know how they are going to complete it within the next two months because they will require a public hearing also. After two months again they will demand more time. Practically what happens is that they will have to announce a public hearing for one month. The plan has to be prepared for that. They have to draft and the draft has to go for public hearing. They have to correct and then they have to get it approved. At least six months will be required if it is done sincerely.”
Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GREA) secretary Olencio Simoes said, “There are still some discrepancies in the CZMP for example fishing zones have not been marked at several places, the draft management plan for Khazan, for mangroves and fishermen development plan have not been completed yet.”
“The government should initiate this process and complete it. If this is done then it will be a win-win situation for all. Fishing zones up to 12 nautical miles have not been marked. Tomorrow there will be an issue that fishermen cannot fish in the area because the port says it belongs to it,” he said. "We might be lagging behind compared to other states but that does not mean that we should have incomplete CZMP,” he added
Roshan Mathias, another activist, said, “There seems to be a purposeful delay, especially considering 2011 was recently done and there were not many changes to be done in the plan."
Unfortunately, it looks like there is a planned effort by the government and definitely they have some side plan in this entire thing. Sincerity has always been lacking in this department.”
