TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has asked the State Environment Department to conduct carrying capacity studies of river basins across Goa without which permission would not be granted to the proposed marina projects.
The State Investment Promotion Board has cleared proposals for a marina at Nauxi village and another at Sancoale. The Board’s decision came even though many of these projects are being strongly opposed by some coastal MLAs, including Environment Minister Alina Saldanha, as well as local fishing communities.
Speaking to the media, GSPCB Chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said that the Board during its meeting in March had resolved not to grant any new permission for construction of jetties, marinas, houseboats, etc, and make mandatory studies to ascertain the carrying capacity of river basins across the State.
“Unless we have a study on the carrying capacity of the river we are not in favour of granting any permission for the marinas. It is not advisable to allow such projects to be set up on a piecemeal basis,” he said.
Accordingly, the State Environment department has been asked to conduct a year-long study to ascertain the carrying capacity of the various rivers. The department of environment will have to float an expression of interest inviting the consultant to undertake the study.
Noronha said that the Board, during its meeting in October last year, had rejected the applications for setting up marinas at Sancoale on the grounds that it would be hazardous for the bio-diversity of the area.
“We had received similar proposals in the past but there were certain apprehensions about the bio-diversity of the area,” he said, adding that even the bio-diversity board has raised objections to the marinas.
