VASCO: Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) has lambasted the Central government for approving a more liberal Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018 in the Union Cabinet which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
GRE General Secretary Olencio Simoes has said that the approved CRZ 2018 is a blatant violation of the of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 under which the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification was enacted with a view to ensure livelihood security to the fisher communities and other local communities, living in the coastal areas, to conserve and protect coastal stretches, its unique environment and its marine area and to promote development through sustainable manner based on scientific principles taking into account the dangers of natural hazards in the coastal areas, sea level rise due to global warming.
The Goa Coastal Zone Management plan (CZMP) has not been finalized as per NGT order original Application Nos.11/20l4 and 424 of 2016 of Nov 22nd 2017 but still the government has gone ahead with the notification.
Simoes regretted that even after sending more than 1 lakh objections from all coastal States to the draft CRZ notification 2018, the Central government has approved the notification.
Simoes said that the CRZ2018 will be the dead end to the traditional fishermen of Goa, as 105 kms of coastline are used as landing sites where the canoes are parked, but under the new CRZ2018, the No Development Zone (NDZ) is reduced to 50 mts and 20 mts subsequently, which means the entire coastline will be concretized upto 50 mts and 20 mts of High Tide Line (HTL). “Due to this, we will lose all our sandy beaches, already 20 percent, that is, 25 kms of the 105 kms of Goa’s coastline has already been affected by erosion and now the rest will be completely eroded too,” he said.
GRE President Agnelo Rodrigues said that the CRZ2018 would not only displace fishermen but would also destroy tourism as tourists would not able to see sandy beaches and shacks would disappear from the beaches.
“The State and the Central governments have systematically planned to eliminate fishermen and destroy tourism of Goa like mining, only for facilitating Sagarmala plans in Goa in which Goa’s sea, rivers, beaches etc will be destroyed to make Goa a coal hub and to transport coal to neighbouring States,” he said.
“If CRZ2018 is not withdrawn, then, we will be forced to come on streets,” Rodrigues warned.
