Says the population designated for CRZ III A areas may also be reduced to 1000 per sq km
SHWETA KAMAT
It doesn’t come as surprise to anyone. While there is much hue and cry over Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) Draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) 2018, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has welcomed the proposed move of reducing CRZ area up to 50 metres from High Tide Line (HTL) from the current 200 metres.
The Corporation has also recommended that the local bodies may be empowered to grant permission for repair, renovation and reconstruction of authorised legal structures along the CRZ areas. It has also proposed that CRZ II designated area should not only be restricted to those within municipal limits but also include census towns as per 2011 census and the legally designated urban areas.
GTDC Managing Director Nikhil Desai has submitted series of suggestions to the Draft CRZ Notification 2018, to Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), who will in turn place the same before the Union Ministry.
“Goa being a small State area wise and due to increase in pressure on land and rapid development of infrastructure in the CRZ area, especially on the tidal influenced water bodies like river/creek, the CRZ of up to 50 metres from HTL should be maintained instead of 100 metres and the same should be part of original notification without leaving the same to be decided in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) in the State,” Desai said in the representation.
As against the Ministry proposing that density of more than 2161 per sq kms as per 2011 census base, as CRZ-III A areas, wherein the No Development Buffer zone measured from the high tide line on the landward side is reduced to 50 metres from HTL, GTDC has proposed that “instead of relying on population density, those areas classified as census towns in census 2011, should be classified as CRZ III A”.
“The population designated for CRZ III A areas, may also be reduced to 1000 per sq kms and the area up to 50 mtrs from HTL to landward side could be earmarked as NDZ instead of 200 mtrs,” it added.
In a bid to boost tourism activities, GTDC has proposed that apart from temporary structures, permanent tourism facilities like shacks, toilets, washrooms, parking, paver block, etc should be permitted in the No Development Zone (NDZ) subject to tourism plan featuring the approved CZMP.
“Temporary facilities required for conducting food festival, beach sports, beach wedding, music festivals, etc for promotion of tourism in NDZ and such facilities shall be granted subject to the tourism plan featuring the approved CZMP,” GTDC added.
It has further said areas beyond the NDZ, tourism facilities such as hotels, resorts, theme park, etc should be permitted. “Also the State government should be permitted to amend/ revise the CZMPs in case of projects which might have been left out during preparation of CZMPs in order to execute time bound projects which serve public interest,” GTDC stated.
