PANJIM: The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has said that in the absence of finalisation of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), the authority is facing challenge to identify the high-tide line (HTL), no-development zone (NDZ) or classification of CRZ areas.
The Authority during its recent meeting, also noted that the delay in notifying the plan has affected the rights of the local community, while citizens are unable to get permissions for various developmental or repair works in the CRZ areas.
The CZMP was last drafted in 1996. The Goa government in 2016 appointed Chennai based National Center for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) to draft the new plan, which is yet to be finalized.
“The authority noted that in absence of finally notified CZMP there is continuous challenge to the identification of HTL, NDZ, Eco-sensitive Areas (ESA) and classification of areas as CRZ I, CRZ II, CRZ III and CRZ IV as provided in the CRZ Notification 2011,” the minutes of the 257th meeting reads.
“The delay affect the rights of the local community as well as many citizens are unable to get various permissions from the GZMA in absence of the approved CZMP,” it added further.
The meeting that deliberated in detail on the suggestions and objections raised to CZMP also noted that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed that there is an inordinate delay in finalising the draft plan, which was first made public in 2019.
Following directions from the NGT, the CZMA has scheduled fresh public hearing to finalise the CZMP on July 8. The green bench has extended the deadline to complete the CZMP process till August 31.
As reported earlier, the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) has already informed GCZMA that until and unless the CZMP is revised or updated, the provisions of the CRZ notification 2019 will not be applicable in the coastal States and provisions of CRZ 2011 will continue to be followed for appraisal and CRZ clearances for any requisite projects.
It had also asked the State to expedite finalization of CZMP, as per CRZ 2011, so that a process will be initiated to update or revise the CZMP, as per CRZ 2019 in a bid to save time.
