PANJIM: Ahead of its crucial meeting on the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) of the State before the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), the Goa government will listen to the suggestions through public consultation starting from Pernem taluka on Friday.
Minster for Environment Nilesh Cabral said that amendments would be proposed to the ministry after the public consultations across 10 talukas. “We will finalise the correct plan after taking suggestions through public consultations… Even if we have to go to Delhi for amendments to the draft, we will take that step,” he said addressing a press conference on Thursday.
In his meeting with MOEF&CC Minister Prakash Javadekar last Sunday, Cabral had raised apprehensions of the State government about the draft CZMP. Following this, the Union ministry is likely to meet the State, NCSCM and Central CZMA officials in this regard.
Cabral said that State is of the view that the High Tide Line (HTL) beyond sluice gate be dropped and maps be referred back to NCSCM for further study and corrections, based on the inputs received from public and MLAs meeting. Cabral further mentioned that if the proposed CZMP, 2011, does not take into consideration the issue of Khazan land, it would affect the people of Goa adversely and as such there is a need to correct it.
Amidst allegations from several quarters on the draft plan, Cabral said that the State initially decided to task the preparation of CZMP to the NIO however the central institute did not commence the work, after which NCSCM in 2016 was approached to submit its proposal for the plan. The MoEF&CC in 2014 had decided that NCSCM demarcate the HTL for the entire country from the ortho images obtained from the National Remote Sensing Centre Hyderabad.
After the public consultation and approval of the CZMP maps by the Centre, Cabral also stated that demarcation of the cadastral maps shall be carried out by local agencies approved by the central government and local agencies should work under the guidance of the State government or Coastal Some Management Authority.
