VASCO: Tense situation prevailed at Kharewado, here on Tuesday after a group of local residents mostly fishermen along with councillors stopped survey by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) in the area.
On hearing the news that the GCZMA officials are undertaking a survey at Kharewado, the local residents along with Councillor Mathias Monteiro and activists rushed to the site and started questioning the officials for conducting a survey and demanded to know whether they had obtained any permission to do so.
Captain Viriato Fernandes told the GCZMA officials that Kharewado area has already been declared as a fishing village in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) following a resolution passed by the Mormugao Municipal Council and that the CRZ laws were not applicable to demolish houses in a fishing village.
The GCZMA officials stopped the work and assured the agitated residents that they will convey their feelings to their higher ups so as to decide the future course of action.
Capt Viriato Fernandes alleged that the said survey was a contempt of court since the State government had told the High Court that it will not allow any activity in CRZ areas till the CZMP is finalised and approved.
He said that in the past some houses were demolished at Kharewado and when inquired, the GCZMA officials spoke about an inspection for a jetty project at the request of the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA). He demanded that the main stakeholders like the fishermen should be taken into confidence.
Mormugao Councillor Monteiro said that he was unaware of any such inspection or survey work at Kharewado.
He said that he was elected representative from the area and that he should have been informed and taken into confidence.
He alleged that in the past the GCZMA in a similar way carried out a survey and then demolished houses belonging to fishing community in the area.
He warned that the residents will not allow such things to reoccur.
