PANJIM: The Goa government is yet to receive communication from the Union Ministry for Environment with regards to Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019.
Speaking to O Heraldo, Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral said, “We have made the provision seeking for more time and asked for six more months to complete the plan. However, there is no communication from the Centre yet.”
There are apprehensions that if Goa misses the October end deadline to complete the Coastal Zone Management Plan 2019, all the development works, including that of the State government projects, may come to a halt from the next month.
The State government had on October 10 written to the Union Ministry for Environment seeking more time to complete the entire process.
In September last, a senior State government official had hinted to O Heraldo that the government will seek more time to complete the process.
The Ministry of Environment on January 18, 2019, had directed all coastal States and Union Territories (UTs) to update their Coastal Management plans (CZMP) framed under the 2011 CRZ notification. It stated all projects on the coasts will have to be assessed as per the updated Coastal Management Plan aligned with the 2019 CRZ notification. If not completed by October end, the projects on the coasts – private and government – will be stalled.
The Centre had asked the States and Union Territories to prepare or update their CZMPs by getting services from reputed scientific institutions or agencies in consultation with stakeholders concerned.
In September last year, the NCZMA had asked the States and Union Territories to expedite updating or revision of the CZMPs by December 2022 but the Goa government could not finalise the Plan.
