The government deadline to complete the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) as per inputs given by the villages and send it to the agency for finalisation ends this week on Saturday. There are just three working days remaining between today and that day, which makes it extremely important for all the villages to complete their plans and send them to the government for incorporation in the State plan. Some villages have already completed their plans and have sent them to the government for incorporation in the State plan. But a majority of the villages are still far behind in this work, with many having not even begun the process to prepare the local plan.
Two Salcete villages on Sunday, at their gram sabhas, rejected the CZMP sent by the government as it differed from the one that the villagers had prepared and sent to the government. Given the high amount of interest generated in the plan, the government cannot afford to ignore the plans prepared by the villagers. This is the reason why the draft CZMP, as prepared by the agency appointed by the government, was rejected in the first place – because it had errors, because it did not reflect what was on the ground. We can’t have this happening again. The trouble taken by the villagers to prepare the plan has to be appreciated and their efforts rewarded by accepting the plan. Besides, can the government risk having the new plan rejected by the people or have it challenged in a court at a later date?
The people have turned very conscious of the environment and the need to preserve the water bodies and fragile ecosystems of the villages. Take the case of the village of Loutolim that rejected the new plan sent by the government. According to the villagers there are discrepancies, for instance, 20 sluice gates have not been marked, and they also want that the houses in Rassaim, which are practically on the river bank be protected. The also want no more permissions for any use of the riverine land. At Chinchinim the issue appeared to be the same – no sluice gates were shown in the plan for the village.
From this, it does appear that the agency that prepared the plan is not conversant with the ground reality in the State. Sluice gates and khazan lands are very important features of the coastal eco-system from the Goan perspective that an agency from outside the State that has not done enough research may not realise. All khazan lands and sluice gates across the State have to be safeguarded in the CZMP and there can be no debate on this. If the plan is meant to protect the water bodies of the State and the coastal zone, then the importance of the khazans cannot be over stressed. The main issue here is protection of the coastal areas and that has to happen.
Time is running out for Goa to get the best possible plan for the coastal areas, a plan that covers all the issues that the people have raised. The Environment Minister has been clear that the date to receive inputs from the villages will not be extended. To avoid further issues with the plan, the government has to ensure that the contributions from the villages that it has received are not ignored. If any village is unable to send a plan or stays away from the planning process, the government can go ahead and complete the exercise with its own inputs. But, it cannot and should not overlook the plans of those that have sent in their inputs. It would dilute the entire process of consultation that the government has entered into.
