MARGAO: Two gram sabhas in Salcete on Sunday decided to prepare their own coastal zone management plan (CZMP) while rejecting the ones prepared by National Centre for Sustainable Costal Management from Chennai.
The Loutolim gram sabha discussed only the CZMP wherein it was resolved to ask NCSCM experts or from other relevant departments to help the villagers prepare the CZMP.
The villagers decided to seek help from local experts like engineers, architects, surveyors, etc to prepare the plan and also involve Khazan committee members, Comunidade members, farmers, fishermen and other indigenous communities.
The villagers authorized the panchayat to make necessary payments to deserving people to prepare the CZMP and allotted Rs. 1.5 lakhs for this purpose.
Meanwhile, at Benaulim the villagers also decided to prepare their own CZMP while outright rejecting the one prepared by NCSCM.
The villagers would take the local stakeholders into confidence and a meeting is scheduled on 23rd August where an expert would guide the people in preparing the plan.
Villager Rudolf Barretto said the draft CZMP prepared by NCSCM was not in the interest of the villagers but only for the vested hotel industry.
He said while the High Tide Line has been taken into the sea in the map for Benaulim, he said the HTL for the river banks has been extended beyond the prescribed distance.
He appealed to the panchayat to invite farmers, toddy tappers, fishermen and shack owners for the meeting on 23rd August.
