Team Herald
MARGAO: Loutolim villagers including tenants associations, farmers, fisher folk, communidade and village panchayat members demanded the postponement of Draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) public hearing convened by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority at the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) ground, here, on July 8, claiming that it will be impossible for most of them to participate.
Ramiro Mascarenhas, the Village Development Committees convenor and Communidade member pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic still prevails and further pointed out that having the hearing when the third wave is bound to hit, does not really make sense.
He also pointed out that the Delta variant which is now spreading also has to be considered and in such circumstances having a public hearing just does not make sense.
Besides, he pointed out that this is the peak season and public hearings are to be avoided at such times and asked for the public hearing to be held after a few months when the monsoons have receded.
Former sarpanch Xavier Fernandes pointed out that most of the farmers are busy cultivating their fields and will not participate in the public hearing while Cruz Pereira, former deputy sarpanch pointed out that virtual hearing is also ruled out as the net rarely works during monsoons.
Hipolito D’Costa and Constancio both farmers demanded that the CZMP prepared by the villagers earlier be adopted instead of having the public hearing.
