Team Herald
Pernem: The Olive Ridley turtle conservation project on the Morjim and Mandrem beaches will now go for a toss as the once silent and sensitive zones meant for flippered visitors have now been declared as commercial zones in a government gazette dated January 13, 2022 (page no 971)
Earlier, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) had decided that the beaches of Morjim, Mandrem, Agonda and Galgibag – the turtle nesting sites to be declared as ‘silence zones’.
As per CRZ notification 2011, Clause 8 (3) (vii), the spots at these beaches have been designated as turtle nesting sites and protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and these areas shall be surveyed and management plan prepared for its protection and that no development shall be permitted in the breeding place for turtles.
It may be noted that the Olive Ridley turtles make their arduous yearly journey to these pristine shores to lay eggs and multiply from November to April.
In 2000, the government had earmarked an area of 500 square metres area at Tembwada as reserved for nesting of turtles and prevented anyone to set-up any sort of business here.
There is an active Sound Pollution Monitoring Committee to control the noise pollution in these regions and a meeting of this committee’s officials was recently held which was presided by North Goa Collector. The meeting was attended by deputy collectors of Pernem, Bardez and Bicholim as well DySPs.
Responding to the questions of the Committee members, the government officials said that they are yet to confirm as and how the respective shores were declared as commercial zones and added that a special meeting with the Department of Environment will be convened to discuss the same.
It may be recalled that shack owners often resisted the CRZ notification in 2011 declaring the Morjim and Mandrem beaches as a ‘silent zone’ and a turtle nesting site as it would affect their livelihood.
