PANJIM: Congress on Monday accused the State government of placing the rights of traditional fishermen in jeopardy by delaying approval to the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), which has already been drafted by the Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (CSCM).
The accusation comes following the National Green Tribunal’s direction to Goa government and other states to submit the CZMP by April 2018 and until then not to grant any new construction licences within 100 metres of the High Tide Line and in violation of CRZ Regulations until July 2018.
Addressing media persons, State Congress president Shantaram Naik said the Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management has already drafted the plan but the State government is delaying granting its approval for it.
Quoting the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, Naik said, “Facilities required for local fishing communities such as fish drying yards, auction halls, net mending yards, traditional boat building yards, ice plants, ice crushing units, fish curing facilities and the like are permitted under the notification.
The Congress leader demanded that the government give reasons why they have still not approved the plan. Naik said that a balance has to be maintained between rights of communities residing in the coastal areas vis-a-vis tourism and environment.
