The Goa govern ment informed the State Legislative Assembly that the High Tide Line (HTL) and Low Tide Line (LTL) demarcations for River Sal under the 2011 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) No tification have not yet been integrated into digital land records like Bhu Naksha. In response to a query by Benaulim MLA Venzy Vie gas, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, who also holds the Environment portfolio, clarified that while tidal limits are reflected in the approved 2011 Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), they have not been superimposed on cadastral survey plans. The government fur ther stated that no part of the river upstream of the recorded tidal limit has been excluded from CRZ demarcation.
Additional ly, the House received a list of encroachment com plaints and boundary dis putes handled by revenue authorities since January 2021. Addressing concerns over potential changes, the Minister confirmed there are currently no proposals to resurvey, re-demarcate, or revise the existing HTL or LTL alignments along the river. As per the reply, mul tiple complaints of en croachment along River Sal are under investigation in Salcete. The Deputy Collector, SDO-II, Salcete, has re ceived several complaints regarding encroachments.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
These include illegal construction along the banks of the River Sal, which highlight the ongoing concerns over violations in the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area. The complaints date back to 2022 and involve both pri vate and commercial properties along the river in Salcete taluka. One complaint filed by Adv Jawahar L Dias per tains to alleged illegal con struction on the banks of the Ogor water body and the River Sal in a narrow strip. A second complaint by the same advocate al leges illegal filling and construction in the area denominated as Sal. Both cases are pending for Mamlatdar report. Similarly, the Sarpanch of Assolna village submit ted a complaint on May 13, 2024, alleging illegal activities by local hoteliers in the river and the Ogor salt pan at Assolna. This matter is also pending a Mamlatdar report. Another complaint was filed by Celine Cras to regarding illegal land filling and dredging near Survey No. 201/9 in Triwaddo, Passagem, Assolna. This case has been forwarded to the Member Secretary of the Goa Coastal Management Authority and was dis cussed during the 22nd CRZ District Level Com mittee meeting held on February 20, 2023. These complaints re flect ongoing challenges in monitoring and enforcing CRZ regulations along the River Sal, with authorities continuing investigations and coordination with the Goa Coastal Management Authority to ensure compliance and protect the riverine environment.
