SURAJ NANDREKAR
suraj@herald-goa.com
With the deadline to submit the suggestions and objections on the “draconian” Draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2018, ending on June 18, the State government departments still seem to be in deep slumber.
The Draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2018 proposes reduction in no development zones to 50 metres as against 200 metres from the High Tide Line (HTL).
Environmentalists have slammed the draft rules terming it a document without scientific validity.
“The draft gives blanket permission to the shacks to come closer to the sea. The beaches have anyway got a commercial pinch and the presence of temporary structures has largely affected the frontal dunes. It could prove detrimental to the ecology,” Environmentalist and former National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) scientist Antonio Mascarenhas told Herald.
Besides environmentalists three organisations have also submitted their objections to the GCZMA – Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Goenchea Ramponnkarancho Ekvott and a local NGO.
The GCZMA said it will be forwarded to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
Interestingly, while there is an uproar over the draft rules everywhere the government departments still seem to be in a deep slumber.
This was evident from a letter dated, June 6, 2018, by Director Environment Ravi Jha, that says that for over a month the department was sitting on the communication from his office.
“Vide letter dated 04/05/2018 & 07/05/2018 the copy of the Draft CRZ Notification, 2018 was forwarded to your office for necessary action at your end which included giving feedback and forwarding the draft notification to the municipalities and panchayats and district level committee members for information and comments. However, no response has come from your office,” Jha says in his letter.
Further, the letter reads, as the final date of feedback is approaching to expedite the process the department is organising a meeting of all stakeholders on 08/06/2018 to sensitise on various provisions in draft rules.
Despite this, sources in the Environment Department say very few have given a feedback.
Interestingly, inquiries revealed Director of Panchayat is yet to forward the draft rules to coastal panchayats yet with only two days to go for submission.
“We have not received anything from the Director of Panchayat on draft CRZ rules,” said Calangute sarpanch Anthony Menezes, speaking to Herald.
Same is the story of other panchayats but they refused to come on record.
When Herald approached Director Environment Ravi Jha, who is also GCZMA member secretary, on what stand would the State take, he said, he was not in position to comment.
“You please speak to the chairman,” he said but he added the GCZMA is a protector of environment and just follows what is law and we do not give or opinion or conduct any study on the subject”.
“The draft notification is from Centre and we will forward whatever objections or suggestions we get from departments and others,” he said.
Chairman Daulat Hawaldar, who is in Delhi for official work, could not be reached.
Sources in the department revealed that the department had written to 24 government and private institutions but very few have replied back.
