MARGAO: Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral said he would continue to go to the local people with the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan. While clarifying that the ongoing presentation was only aimed at explaining the Coastal Zone Regulation Act 2011 to the people, Cabral asserted that the CZMP has been rejected by his ministry.
“The Environment Ministry has rejected the CZMP prepared by National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and we are now in the process of preparing a fresh draft for which we have asked people, including panchayats, to give their suggestions and objections,” said Nilesh.
He said that once the draft is prepared, the same will be taken to every village coming under CRZ and the locals opinion will be noted down and a final plan will be prepared that will be sent to NCSCM for its approval.
He said it is mandatory to get NCSCM’s approval as it was mandated in the notification and also revealed that National Institute of Oceanography was asked to prepare the CZMP in 2014 but as it did nothing for two years NCSCM was roped in.
“I wanted the people to understand what the CRZ notification was, but some vested interest apparently do not want good of Goa and have goaded the people to behave in this manner,” he said while declaring that the presentation was held and he was not responsible if people could not hear what was said.
“There were leaders of various opposition political parties amongst the people present,” he said adding that these elements want to finish Goa and argued that he wanted to do something that nobody had done before by enlightening the people on the CRZ notification.
He said there were some good NGOs who want development in the State but lamented that their silence is letting “the anti-social and extortionist NGOs mislead the people” and urged people to give him an opportunity to prepare the people’s plan.
“As per CRZ, construction is permitted between 200 mts to 500 mts of the high tide line provided permission is sought for the construction but regularization of an already constructed structure is not permitted,” he said adding that he would seek a special amendment in the notification with regards to this with the union government.
While pointing out that he took over as Environment Minister a few months back, he said he was not involved in preparing the CZMP and thus dismissed all the slogans shouted against him and assured that the draft plan being prepared will show the fisherman wards and other suggestions made by people provided they send them to the Environment Ministry soon.
He disclosed that next week he would go to Chennai to understand what details would be required to prepare the fresh CZMP and the work on its preparation will start soon thereafter.
