Team Herald
PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi has directed that State government to identify additional Wetlands in Goa and protect wetlands of less than five hectares under the existing Wetlands Rules or Act, within three months and submit a report before it.
In its affidavit that comes in response to a petition filed by activist Kashinath Shetye, the State government mentioned that during the first meeting of Goa State Wetland Authority (GSWA) in 2016, 385 wetlands have been delineated which have an area more than 5 hectares and 167 wetlands are less than 2.25 hectares. Moreover, there are 101 Inland Wetlands wherein 29 are located in North Goa and 72 in South Goa District, and another 282 Coastal Wetlands – 112 in North and 70 in South Goa.
The government further submitted that during the meeting it was decided to initiate the process of notification of four important wetlands as identified in the Wetlands Atlas being Salaulim Reservoir, Anjunem Reservoir, Carambolim Lake and Chorao Wildlife Sanctuary and accordingly instructions were issued to the Goa State Biodiversity Board.
Ruchira Gupta, counsel for the GSWA submitted before the Tribunal that as the data is of 2016, it requires to be revisited as Salaulim Reservoir and Anjunem Reservoir have been found not to fulfill the criteria for being declared as Wetlands under the Central Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
She further said that notwithstanding the fact that two the Wetlands have been found not to meet the requisite criteria, some more Wetlands have been identified and the process being an ongoing one, more time would be necessary to file the final list of all Wetlands.
The Tribunal however denied granting 18 months time as sought by the authority stating the inventory should be completed within three months.
“We grant the GSWA a further time of three months within which the process of inventory shall be completed in respect of which a report shall be filed. Granting eighteen months’ time as prayed for would be too long a period considering the possibility of the entire exercise being made futile. We also direct the State to consider identifying Wetlands of less than five hectares to be protected under existing Wetlands Rules or Act of the State, if framed or passed. The State shall inform us on this also on December 3, 2019,” the Principal Bench stated.
