The finalisation of the draft plan has evoked people’s interest and opposition, keeping it in the news for over two years as the government and the people sparred over what should and should not be included in the final plan. The people did get their way in a number of cases, as for instance the depiction of the port limits that was a major issue with the people will now not be shown in the final map, as will not be shown structures that had been included in the draft plan.
But there are other instances where the discussion is still on, with neither side willing to concede. With a large number of interventions expected, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority has decided to carry out ground truthing before considering the suggestions and objections that will be raised by the stakeholders to the draft plan. While this will ensure that there are no errors in the final plan and that the people’s interventions will not be accepted without verification, it gives the coastal authority and the Department of Environment fairly little time to carry out all the required groundwork to authenticate the interventions of the people.
The final draft of the plan has to be ready by August 30, 2021 and following the public hearings the government will have to examine and consider the comments, suggestions and objections, send the plans back to the National Center for Sustainable Coastal Management in Chennai for the corrections in the maps and then appraise and finalise it before it is sent to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for final notification. Practically the State has a month and a half to complete all this. It is a race that the State has to complete as its tardiness in finalising the plan has got it a string of extensions in the deadlines and it is unlikely that any further request for further pushing forward the deadline will be met favourably.
The public hearings, therefore, are the final opportunity that the people have so as to make their interventions. To pack in as much as possible during the hearing, the government engaged on social media with series of tweets on the process of the hearing and what will happen next, as well as clarifications on some of the major apprehensions raised by the people. The aim is to minimise the discussion on these issues and devote more time to other relevant issues. The trick will be in making best use of the time allotted to make the suggestions or bring up the objections. For professionals, 15 minutes may not suffice for an intervention, but for the common people it should, for besides this written objections are also allowed.
Goa Foundation had made one last attempt to obtain some more time for the finalisation of the Coastal Zone Management Plan stating that it cannot be treated lightly and that the process must be carried out with utmost sincerity, and diligence, and with due regard for the concerns of those that would be affected. Against the background of the controversy that it has stirred, the finalisation of the plan cannot be given short shrift, but it can also not be delayed any further. There have been ample opportunities given to the people to register their interventions, and enough time allowed for the discussion. It’s time to make the most of it by speaking today to save the coast of Goa for tomorrow.
