Team Herald

PANJIM: The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) has begun the process of drafting the new Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), with major focus on mapping of sand dunes, assessment of carrying capacity of beach in regards to temporary seasonal structures and demarcation of High Tide Line (HTL) and Low Tide Line (LTL) for the coastal state. 

The old CZMP drafted way back in 1996 (extended time and again) is valid upto January 2017, post which a new management plan for coastal states, has to be in place describing government and public authorities and potentially the private sector to address priority management issues in the coastal zone over a defined implementation period. 

The plan which will be placed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on February 28, will also focus on identifying and demarcating the fishing villages-thereby giving protection to the community under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). 

“The work of preparation has been granted to NCSCM. As per CRZ 2011 notification, the areas which have more than 20,000 populations will come under CRZ II zone. Now the areas like Calangute, Colva, Candolim and other coastal villages which are thickly populated, can be classified as CRZ II. It will give huge relief to fisher folks who have small structures at the coastal line,” a senior Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) official said.

GCZMA during one of its meeting last year noted that there are huge numbers of CRZ violation cases pending due to series of reasons. As such, the authorities felt the need to expedite the process of drafting new CZMP, identifying the fishing villages and demarcating HTL and LTL.