MARGAO: The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) yet again finds itself in hot water with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for its repeated failure to submit timely responses, leading to a penalty of Rs 50,000 in one case over non-appearance and delay in filing an affidavit and a show-cause notice issued in another, for similar reasons.
In a scathing rebuke, the NGT criticized the GCZMA for its lack of seriousness in addressing matters before the tribunal and further noted a consistent pattern of delayed filings without a justifiable reason being provided for the ‘huge delays’.
In the first matter, regarding a petition filed by the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum, despite being granted a two-week extension in April 2022, the authority failed to submit a reply affidavit for over eight months, prompting the NGT to impose a penalty against GCZMA in January 2024. However, even after paying the fine of Rs 50,000 before the NGT Bar Association in Pune, Maharashtra, GCZMA continued its trend of non-compliance by failing to file a response in a separate case.
In the latest incident, pertaining to an appeal filed by Krishna Virnodkar, the GCZMA again failed to provide its say, drawing further condemnation from the tribunal.
“No one has appeared from the side of GCZMA nor has anyone appeared from the side of the State of Goa through the Chief Secretary despite sufficient services. We direct the registry to send a letter to the Member Secretary (MS) of the GCZMA, directing therein, to show cause to why no reply has been ensured to have been submitted in the present appeal nor has anyone been deputed to appear before us to represent them. By way of last opportunity, two weeks’ time is allowed to the respondent GCZMA to file the reply affidavit,” the NGT.
GCZMA given three months’ time to rectify discrepancies in Coastal Zone Mgmt Plan
MARGAO: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has mandated the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to rectify discrepancies in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2011 within three months. These discrepancies, identified only after the maps were shared on a scale of 1:4,000, were flagged by the GCZMA, citing mismatches with state survey plans. GCZMA added that the rectification process would require time.
The GCZMA attributed the disparities to the maps provided by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, and called upon the Ministry of Environment (MoEF) to accordingly issue its recommendations given that the Union Ministry is the appropriate authority to decide on the implementation of the 1:4,000 scale maps. GCZMA further stated that they would take an appropriate decision after MoEF makes a decision on their rectification request.
“It appears that the decision to upload the CZMP maps on the scale 1:4,000 is in the process of being accomplished, because after the discrepancies, which are found to be there, are removed from NCSCM, Chennai. Appropriate action may be taken in this regard on the recommendation made by the MoEF,” said the NGT bench.
While the GCZMA’s affidavit lacked a specific timeline, the NGT deemed three months appropriate for resolution.
The CZMP, originally drafted on a 1:25,000 scale by the NCSCM, faced criticism for inadequate clarity, prompting the shift to a more detailed 1:4,000 scale, as requested by the State government to the NCSCM.
