WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2024
GARY AZAVEDO
BENAULIM: Sarpanchas heading the coastal panchayats in the Salcete taluka in South Goa continue to be adamant that the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) depute their officials to explain the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) to the villagers at the panchayat level due to the several anomalies and discrepancies observed in the draft CZMP. Besides, the sarpanchas are aggrieved that the suggestions and objections made by the villagers who painstakingly prepared the CZMP in conformity with the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2011 and submitted it in 2019 were ignored by the GCZMA as the draft CZMP prepared by the Chennai based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) vastly differed from that prepared by the villagers. They further denounced the public hearing conducted at the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao on Sunday, March 7.
Herald spoke to some of the sarpanchas in Salcete. Here’s what they say:
THE DRAFT HAS TO BE
EXPLAINED: Betalbatim
Betalbatim sarpanch Constancio Miranda said, “It was not a public hearing, it was just a private hearing with 150 people since nobody spoke. I was one of the speakers yesterday. We want the GCZMA authorities to visit our Betalbatim village and explain the draft CZMP to the Betalbatim villagers. If the authorities remain adamant, we will take the next course of action such as agitations, etc. We want leaders to implement the plan that the villagers had prepared.
NO LETTER RECEIVED FROM
GCZMA: Varca
Varca sarpanch Crossly Charlton Lourenco said, “We all opposed because the people were outside and only 150 individuals were registered. Then they said that they had sent a letter to the panchayat which all of the sarpanchas, including me told them that we had not received any letter from the GCZMA. We said that we have given them a map. We have not given them anything over there (public hearing) and we did not speak as nobody spoke. We told them to come to the panchayat and depute an official and let them do the presentation. We all sarpanchas will meet and take a decision.”
A BRIDGE HAS BEEN SHOWN As SLUICE GATE & OTHER STORIES: Orlim
Orlim sarpanch Tamica D’Silva said, “We have already convened the Gram Sabha that has strongly objected to the draft CZMP and the Orlim village panchayat has already written to the GCZMA regarding the objections made by the villagers. The GCZMA authorities have to visit the panchayat and if they maintain their obstinate stand then we, too, will be stubborn as they have to listen to the villagers because the villagers know the ground realities. As we have said before if Google mapping is done, what is known since where there exists a bridge, a dot has been displayed marking it as a sluice gate. This is not correct and they have to listen to our grievances.”
A RESOLUTION OPPOSING CZMP ALREADY PASSED: CARMONA
Carmona sarpanch Allwyn Jorge said, “We had called a special meeting on this subject and the Carmona Gram Sabha has already passed a resolution objecting to the draft CZMP and asking the Carmona village panchayat to write to the GCZMA which has been done with the suggestions and objections raised by the Carmona villagers. The Carmona village panchayat will decide upon the future course of action at the appropriate time after discussing it at the panchayat body meeting.”
WE WILL PREPARE OUR OWN
PLAN: Colva
Colva sarpanch Anthony ‘Mam’ Fernandes said, “First, this draft CZMP has to be explained to the panchayat and to the Colva villagers and then incorporate what has to be done. We will prepare our own plan and submit it.”
DECISION TO OPPOSE FIRMLY TAKEN : SERAULIM & BENAULIM
Seraulim sarpanch Leslie Dourado said, “We have already taken a resolution opposing this draft CZMP as we stand by the affected people.”
While the Benaulim sarpanch Vencila Fernandes, too agreed with her fellow sarpanchas, the Cavelossim sarpanch Dionizio ‘Denis’ Dias was not reachable despite several attempts made to obtain his reactions to this crucial issue.
