Team Herald
PANJIM: Stating that the delay in amendments in the CRZ rules has held up the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for Goa, Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral said the State will seek six months extension from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to submit the plan.
Speaking to Herald, Cabral said that National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) has written to the Environment Department that they have received 56 plans sent by village panchayats and they have sought time to incorporate the changes.
“Besides, another 50 panchayats have written to us that they want the plans to be explained to them. So now we have decided to send surveyors to these 50 panchayats. I had personally gone earlier but they did not listen; now they want us to explain the plan,” Cabral said.
He said that as far as NGT is concerned the State will file before the tribunal the exercise carried out so far and how the villages have responded.
“We are sending our officers to file our say before NGT. We are also going to ask time of another six months to finish the plan. We have asked for some amendments until then there is no solution,” he said.
The minister said that he is expecting to meet Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climatic Change (MoEF&CC) Minister Prakash Javadekar on November 14, but appointment is still not confirmed.
“Pending amendments we are facing problems in finalising the plan. Also, NCSCM says even it wants a month to go through the suggestions and objections made by village panchayats,” the minister said.
Asked whether NCSCM will incorporate the suggestions made by villages, he replied that whatever is as per the CRZ notification 2011, will be incorporated.
