Team Herald
PANJIM: In major relief to Goa, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has amended the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification 2011 to allow the High Tide Line (HTL) in Goa to be demarcated along the bunds (embankments) along rivers and creeks.
The notification says that the Central Government have received representations from various stakeholders, including the State government, regarding need for restricting demarcation of HTL in Khazan land to the bund/sluice gate.
The notification states, “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) and clause (v) of sub-section (2) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) read with clause (d) of sub-rule (3) of Rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government hereby makes the following further amendments in the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011, namely: – 1. In paragraph 2, the following proviso shall be inserted, namely: – “Provided that in case there exists a bund or a sluice gate constructed in the past, prior to the date of notification issued vide S.O. 114(E) dated 19th February, 1991, the HTL shall be restricted up to the line long along the bund or the sluice gate and in such a case, area under mangroves arising due to saline water ingress beyond the bund or sluice gate shall be classified as CRZ-IA irrespective of the extent of the area beyond the bund or sluice gate. Such areas under mangroves shall be protected and shall not be diverted for any developmental activities.”
The notification making change in paragraph 8.V relating to areas requiring special consideration, in clause 3, for sub-clause (iv), the following sub-clause has substituted: “(iv) the eco sensitive low lying areas which are influenced by tidal action known as khazan lands shall be mapped and in case there exists a bund or a sluice gate constructed in the past, prior to the date of notification issued vide S.O. 114(E) dated 19th February, 1991, the HTL shall be restricted up to the line long along the bund or the sluice gate and in such a case, area under mangroves arising due to saline water ingress beyond the bund or sluice gate shall be classified as CRZ-IA irrespective of the extent of the area beyond the bund or sluice gate. Such areas under mangroves shall be protected and shall not be diverted for any developmental activities”.
State Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral, through a series of communications to MoEF&CC had proposed various amendments to the CRZ notification 2011 to allow the State to exclude the HTL in khazan land, so as to facilitate to draw a practical Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). The village panchayats and concerned citizens had raised strong objections over the erroneous demarcation of HTL.
The NCZMA during its meeting on January 13, deliberated the issue and observed that in so far as that khazan land issue is concerned, there is valid reason and accordingly it can be agreed that HTL shall be restricted to the bund/sluice gate but keeping the mangrove areas as CRZ-IA.
