Team Herald
PANJIM: After recommending the removal of port limits depiction from the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has asked the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) not to show any structures, apart from those on the fore shore, on the draft maps.
The decision has been taken by the Authority following numerous objections and suggestions received from the public stating that their structures were not shown in the draft CZMP or a structure is wrongly shown on the maps.
At its meeting earlier this month, GCZMA noted that NCSCM was provided cadastral maps of the DSLR which were promulgated in the 1970s as base maps for preparation of the Draft CZMP, 2011 and only these structures reflect on the draft plan.
After a detailed discussion, GCZMA was of the opinion that the legality of a structure cannot be decided on the basis of being shown or not shown in the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR) Maps as they were promulgated in the 1970s and no further promulgated maps of February, 1991 are available for confirmation.
“The Authority decided to recommend to the NCSCM not to show any structures on the CZMP maps except structures on fore shore such as jetties, wharves, quays, ramps, lighthouses, beacons, and areas or structures of archaeological importance and heritage sites,” the minutes of the meeting state.
As reported earlier, one of the major cases that came to fore was that though Sao Jacinto Island was included in the draft plan, the residents complained that their houses, old chapel, heritage tunnel, etc were missing.
Herald in its of March 27 edition, had reported that GCZMA has recommended removal of the depiction of port limits from the draft CZMP 2011 before submitting it to the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA).
In yet another decision, GCZMA has decided to write to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) requesting to permit other developmental activities, as permissible under the CRZ notification 2011, in the areas demarcated as fishing wards or villages in the plan.
“In view of the peculiar circumstances prevailing in the State of Goa where the location of the fishermen houses are not isolated in singe wards or villages, other developmental activities permissible under the CRZ Notification, 2011, may be permitted in areas demarcated as fishing wards/villages in the CZMP and this should form a part of the final notification,” the GCZMA decided.
