PANJIM: If everything goes as per plan, very soon the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regulations will be relaxed to give a fillip to the tourism potential along the 150 kms long beach belt in Goa. The Union Ministry for Environment and Forest (MoEF) has shown a positive sign towards the demand of Laxmikant Parsekar-led government.
In a recent communication following MoEF directives, the Union Ministry for Tourism has to identify beach, backwater, lake and river stretches significant from tourism point of view, which can be considered for relaxation of CRZ limit and furnish details of the latitude and longitude of the starting point and the end point along with the length of the same.
Accordingly, the Government has constituted five-member expert committee headed by Chief Secretary R K Srivastava, who will be undertaking an in-depth study of all those areas seeking relaxation for tourism development. The committee will also scrutinise the many applications received by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) granting relaxation in CRZ norms for undertaking repairs and renovations of existing structures in the CRZ areas.
“The said committee shall conduct site inspection of various areas significant from tourism point across the State and identify beaches, backwater, lake, river stretches,” read the directions issued by State Tourism Department.
“The Union Ministry seems to be positive towards our demand. The relaxation will play a major role in boosting the tourism sector,” sources said adding that the first meeting of the expert committee is scheduled on January 28.
During the Western Zonal Council Meeting in September, last year, the Goa government had put up their demand for relaxations in the CRZ norms to facilitate increasing flow of tourists in the State.
