PANJIM: Noting “breach of mandate” by the Goa Government in finalising the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for the last ten years, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted the State till December 31, 2021 to complete the process.
The Principal Bench of NGT chaired by Chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel also ordered that failure to meet deadline will result in the Environment Secretary going without his salary from January 1, 2022 till the plan is finalised.
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In June this year NGT had set an August 31 deadline for the State to complete the CZMP. However, with over 7,000-odd suggestions and objections received to the draft plan, the State had sought six months time, till February 28, 2022, to complete the process.
The green bench, however, declined to grant a six-month extension. “Having regard to the long delay which has already taken place, we see no justification for granting the extension sought,” the NGT bench said.
“We note that there is breach of mandate of finalising CZMP as per CRZ Regulations, 2011 for the last ten years, causing failure to regulate the matters as per law, to the detriment of environment,” NGT stated.
The Bench said that the State cannot go on in a leisurely manner without concern for its duty.
“Accordingly, we direct that if CZMP is not completed even up to December 31, 2021 the concerned Secretary of State of Goa will not be entitled to salary from January 1, 2022 till the default continues,” it ordered.
Earlier, in September 2020, NGT, in a final ultimatum to the State, had granted time till January 31, 2021 to complete the CZMP, which was missed and a further extension till March 31 was granted on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, several discrepancies were noted by NGT in the public hearing held on March 7, as pointed out by the petitioner Goa Foundation and accordingly, the State was directed to conduct a fresh hearing, which was held on July 8 and set August 31 deadline.
Before that, NGT in November, 2019, ‘in a last resort’ extension had granted Goa till January 31, 2020 to submit the draft CZMP to Chennai-based agency NCSCM.
NCSCM was thereafter directed to complete the exercise within three months and submit the final draft after a public hearing to MoEF&CC by April 30, 2020, while the Ministry was directed to issue the final notification on the plan by May 31, 2020.
However, in view of ‘lockdown’ and ‘curfew’ restrictions, imposed in wake of COVID-19 pandemic, NGT had extended the deadline till January 31, 2021.
