Team Herald
PANJIM: In a fresh move seeking amendments to the CRZ Notification 2011 with Goa as a special case, State Government has written to Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) Prakash Java0dekar emphasising that Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) would be a “fruitful” exercise only if the amendments are accepted.
State Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral in a letter dated October 23 has pointed out that the amendments suggested by the State are to be placed before the National Coastal Zone Management Authority’s (NCZMA) 39th meeting, which is to be held very soon.
Cabral had on September 30 met officials of Union Ministry seeking various amendments to the CRZ notification 2011 to allow State to exclude High Tide Line (HTL) in khazan land, so as to facilitate to draw a practical CZMP. He had pointed out that village panchayats and concerned citizens have raised their strong objection over erroneous demarcation of HTL.
“I have been informed that the amendments as suggested by our State are to be placed before NCZMA and the 39th meeting is scheduled very soon,” Cabral said.
“I would be greatly pleased if you could prevail upon the officials of the MOEF&CC to consider the case of our State and make necessary amends to the CRZ Notification 2011 because it is only my State that is yet to prepare the CZMP 2011 and the National Green Tribunal has granted us time up to November 15 to finalise the same,” the minister added.
“The CZMP 2011 will be fruitful exercise only if the amendments as suggested by our State are accepted which would enable the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) Chennai to prepare the draft CZMP,” he said.
Cabral recalled the interaction with the Union Minister in Goa pertaining to concern raised by him over preparation of the CZMP, which has been opposed by the people of Goa on account of HTL having ingressed towards the landward side due to the presence of mangroves.
He said to have been consistently persuading with NCSCM to delineate the HTL up to traditional bunds, which on account of breach, have resulted in saline water entering the khazan lands leading the mangroves to grow.
The minister said of the total landmass of 3704 sq kms, the State is now left with just 255 sq kms of area for future growth and development.
