Biodiversity heritage site in Curtorim: Board invites inputs

Team Herald

PANJIM/MARGAO: The Goa State Biodiversity Board has invited suggestions and objections from the general public on its proposal to declare a part of the land in Curtorim village as ‘bio diversity heritage site.’ 

The government has issued a notification setting a deadline of 60 days to submit the suggestions and objections in this regard. 

“The  Goa  State  Biodiversity  Board  in  consultation  with  the  Village  Panchayat  of  Curtorim and  Curtorim  Biodiversity  Management  Committee  (BMC)  and  after  following  the  guidelines as  laid  down  by  the  National  Biodiversity  Authority  (NBA)  has  proposed that  the  land admeasuring  an  area  of  6,11,757  sq mts surveyed  under  survey  number  and  sub-division numbers  in village  Curtorim,  taluka  Salcete,  district  South  Goa,  State  of  Goa  more  particularly described in the schedule appended hereto, being area of biodiversity importance be declared as  biodiversity heritage site,” reads the notification. 

The proposal, it said, is published for the information of the interested parties stakeholders/ persons likely to be concerned or affected. The proposal will be taken into consideration by the GSBB  after  the  expiry  of  a period  of  60  days  from  the  date  of  publication  of  this  notice  in  the  Official  Gazette.  

“All objections  and  suggestions  to  the  said  proposal  may  be  forwarded  to  the  Member  Secretary, Goa State Biodiversity Board, Opp. Saligao Seminary, Saligao, Bardez or on email address goanbiodiversity@gmail.com  before  the  expiry  of  60  days  from  the  date  of  publication  of  this notice  in  the  Official  Gazette,” it said. 

The notification further said that the  existing  traditional practices  of  land use, activities  such  as farming, fisheries, bund making/restoration using traditional or new but eco-friendly techniques utilising local material, requirements to manage salt water intrusion by managing mangroves, etc, shall  not  be  hampered  or disturbed due  to  BHS  declaration. However  the  change  in land use  detrimental to ecological characteristics  of  the  said  area  shall  not  be  permitted, the existing land use as wetlands, agro-pisciculture shall be maintained, integrity of ecosystems shall be ensured and existing households shall not be affected due to BHS  declaration. 

“Traditionally  existing  methods  of  farming,  future  plans  for  mechanised  farming,  auctioning  of fishing and other rights as per prevailing systems, any other rights under any other prevailing legal  provisions  shall  not  be  affected  or  disturbed  due  to  BHS  and  such  pre-existing  rights and  privileges  shall  not  require  any  approval  from  GSBB. All  the  pre-existing  ownership  rights  and privileges  pertaining  to  identified  and  notified BHS  will  be  maintained. Further  no  pre-existing  ownership  rights  or  property  will  be transferred  to  GSBB  as  a  part  of  this  notification.  The  status  quo  of  the  existing  ownership  of the  notified  property  will  be  maintained,” the gazette said. Infringement of the declaration will attract penal action.

Meanwhile, according to the notification, nearly six lakh square meters of area, mostly lakes and field channels, are included in the biodiversity heritage site which has left the villagers and activists working towards preserving the biodiversity of Curtorim unhappy due to the exclusion of khazan lands, springs, and other important landmark areas which were shown in the proposal. 

Only lakes and fields channels have been mentioned on the draft notice published in the Official Gazette. 

“The GSBB has mentioned only six lakes including Ralloi Lake, Agdi Lake, Sonbem Lake, Mai Tollem, Colomba Tollem and Gud Tollem, besides field channels. There is no mention of khazan areas, mangroves and agro-ecosystem in the draft,” said J Santan Rodrigues. 

“We the people of Curtorim are happy to know that the notice pertaining to declaring the village as biodiversity heritage site has been issued on the Official Gazette. However, at my individual level I am disappointed as the other important landmark areas and khazans are excluded”, he stated. 

He said in the proposal moved by the Curtorim Biodiversity Committee it was urged to declare the biodiversity heritage site of nearly 60 lakh square metres, but only six lakh sq metres have been considered for the same. 

“We, like-minded people will have a meeting in this regard and will deliberate on the issue to decide further course of action”, said Rodrigues. 

As mentioned in the proposal consisting of nearly 84 pages the village of Curtorim – Codtary, Coddetary, or Kardeley it seems the village was known in olden times and was baptized by the Portuguese as Curtorim. It was also known as Cuddtari.