The National Perspective Plan report dated April 2016 of the Sagarmala Project under the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India has identified 14 Coastal Economic Zones (CEZs) along the coastline of India. Each of these CEZs is mapped to the nearby ports. The layouts of the proposed CEZs are shown in Exhibit 4.88/page 259 of the report.
The tiny State of Goa is included in the Coastal Economic Zone (CEZ) of South Konkan-Maharashtra under the Sagarmala project. This CEZ that covers entire Goa also includes areas near Goa-Karnataka boundary, South Maharashtra and the North Konkan & South Konkan coastal regions from Raigad district to Goa border. However, in the chart shown on page 260 of the above referred report, the probable districts of the so-called South Konkan-Maharashtra CEZ are Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, North Goa, South Goa. The South Konkan-Maharashtra CEZ layout under the Sagarmala project is mapped to the Mormugao major Port.
The specific project details of the perspective plans of 12 CEZs are covered in 134 pages of the 485 pages draft final report for Sagarmala (vol.II) dated August 2016 of the Ministry of Shipping, Indian Ports Association. It is seen that the CEZs have been proposed to promote massive commercial development projects.The identified commercial development investment projects are to be implemented in Special Economic Zones (SEZs)/National Investment &Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) with transportation connectivity of these development nodes to the nearby economic/industrial corridor .
Why have the detailed specific perspective plans of the remaining 2 CEZs, namely the North Konkan-Maharashtra and South Konkan –Maharashtra CEZs not been included in the above referred draft final report? The massive tourism projects of South Konkan-Maharashtra CEZ linked to the Mopa Airport development plans have been kept hidden.
The development of Chapora River (33 kms?),Mapusa/Moide River(27 kms?) and Sal River(14 kms?) have been included along with the rivers of Maharashtra in Cluster-7.This is highlighted in the feasibility report dated April 2016 for the Mapusa/Moide River prepared for the Inland Waterways Authority of India(IWAI). Why should these rivers of Goa be included along with the rivers of Maharashtra? There are no clearances/approvals for this feasibility report. It is therefore shocking that work for the development, maintenance and operation of national waterways infrastructure for Mapusa waterway (National Waterway 71) and other National Waterways in Goa is going to be taken up soon!
