Team Herald
MARGAO: Nature lovers, green activists and the villagers of Curtorim will have to wait longer to see their village declared as the State’s first biodiversity heritage site, as the village panchayat Curtorim has failed to submit the final map, which was rectified four months back by the Goa State Biodiversity Board (GSBB).
As per reliable sources, few members of the Curtorim Biodiversity Board and the panchayat are still in a confused state pertaining to mapping the sites or springs in the jurisdiction of the panchayat.
However, Caetano Hilario, Sarpanch of Curtorim informed that he will look into the matter so that the final map is submitted to the GSBB at the earliest.
It is pertinent to note that in October 2022, the GSBB after a lengthy hearing of its grievances committee had agreed to include the springs and khazan lands, earlier excluded from the draft notification to declare Curtorim as a Biodiversity Heritage Site.
Member Secretary, GSBB Pradip Sarmokadam told O Heraldo that upon the insistence of concerned citizens, besides the Curtorim biodiversity committee and panchayat, it had decided to include all the springs and khazan land in the draft, as per the initial proposal.
“We had asked the Curtorim Biodiversity Committee and the panchayat to finalize the map, especially with regard to inclusion of springs and khazan lands. However, the Board is still waiting for the same,” he said.
The GSBB has agreed to make the changes in the draft notification. The concerned authority has been directed to re-survey the parts that need to be included, he informed.
He further said that GSBB will immediately start the process of notification once they receive the final map.
J Santano Rodrigues, Chairman of the Curtorim Biodiversity Committee informed that it is now up to the panchayat to submit the final map, as they have already discussed the issues pertaining to marking of areas in the map regarding the springs and khazan.
However, according to sources, there is a division among the members of the biodiversity committee over the areas to be marked.
“I will check the matter and see to it that the final map is sent to the GSBB at the earliest,” the Sarpanch said, when contacted.
