SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM: Even as the deadline set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for the submission of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) is fast approaching, around 34 of village panchayats and municipalities are yet to submit their plans to the Environment Department.
Out of 125 panchayats and urban bodies, only 91 have submitted the plan to the department of environment, as per the information received here.
Sources said that the plans have been forwarded to National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), for correction in the earlier plan.
Thirty two panchayats and two municipalities are in the list, which are yet to submit the plans.
These are – Xeldem, Consua, Raia, Sanvordem, Cansaulim-Arossim -Cuelim, Cortalim, Marcaim, Verem, Betqui-Candola, Torxem, Tamboxem-Uguem, Merces, Siolim-Sodiem, Oxel, Colvale, Assagao, Reis-Magos, Salvador do Mundo, Pomburpa-Olaulim, Sirsaim, Revora, Assonora, Nadora, Bastora, Sirigao, Latambarcem, Pilerne-Marra, Amberem-Porscodem, Dhargal, Virnoda, Uccassaim, Guirim, Carambolim and the Pernem Municpal Council and Mapusa Municipal Council.
Officials speaking on anonymity said the office has received 10 plans on December 20, Friday, which was last day for submission of plans, so that it could be submitted to NCSCM in time.
The State government is waiting for the NCZMA meeting for Goa specific amendment.
NGT, Principal Bench, had granted the State till January 31, 2020 to submit the draft CZMP to the NCSCM.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), has been directed to issue the final notification on the plan by April 30, next year.
In September, NGT had granted Goa till November 15 to submit the CZMP to MoEF&CC for finalisation. Since, Goa was the only State that had failed to finalise the CZMP within the stipulated time period, NGT had warned of coercive action against the officers.
NGT granted Goa time till January 31, 2020 with a rider that failure to submit the plan will result in deduction of salaries of the concerned Environment Department officers.
NCSCM has been directed to complete the exercise within three months thereafter and submit the final draft after public hearing to MoEF&CC by March 31. The Ministry has been directed to issue final notification by April 30, next year.
The plan drafted by NCSCM contained several anomalies and was rejected by the government and returned for correction.
The State had earlier been asked to submit the plan by August 31. The government has been unable to complete the CZMP exercise pending necessary amendments to CRZ notification 2011.
Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral had approached MoEF&CC seeking amendments to the CRZ Notification 2011 with Goa as a special case, emphasizing that the CZMP would be a ‘fruitful’ exercise only if the amendments are accepted.
The government has also requested the Ministry to allow the State to exclude the High Tide Line (HTL) in khazan lands, so as to facilitate the drawing of a practical CZMP. Cabral had pointed out that panchayats and citizens concerned have raised strong objection to erroneous demarcation of the HTL.
