With as many as 480 cases of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) violations pending for necessary action since last five years, the need was felt by the State government to constitute District Level Coastal Monitoring Committees under the Chairmanship of District Collector both in North and South Goa to assist the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), which seems to be overloaded with the non-ending violations.
Yes! In fact it was the GCZMA in August 2015 that had resolved setting up of the committees, which are however, not the final authority in the decision making. The district-level committees are constituted under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.
Moreover, it is going to be the GCZMA prerogative to decide on which cases would be looked after by the district committees.
As per government record, as many as 480 cases of CRZ violations have been reported since April 2012 till date. The maximum numbers of violations are reported in the talukas like Bardez- 237, followed by Pernem-86, Salcete-58, Tiswadi-43, Canacona-28 and Mormugao 21.
“The decision was taken after the Authority noted that, there are various complaints which were forwarded to the Deputy Collector, local bodies and other authorities for action and compliance report in the matter. However, it was noted that, these complaints are not being acted upon by the concerned authorities and hence, there is increase in the pendency of the complaints,” the minutes of the 119th meeting held on August 18, 2015 reads.
When contacted, the then expert member on the GCZMA Dr. Antonio Mascarenhas confirmed about the said decision and said that CRZ notification 2011, allows government to set up such committees to assist GCZMA.
“See, GCZMA is overloaded with the cases. As on record there are 480 cases pending before the authority. There are another 400 CRZ violation cases, which are not even recorded but exist. It is not an easy task,” he explains.
The violations include illegal construction of residential houses, commercial projects like hotels, shacks, restaurants, additional roof or rooms to the existing structures, illegal construction of retaining walls destructions of mangroves, erection of palm trees and others.
Mascarenhas, however states that the State government will have to lay some clear cut directions on how the committees will proceed as the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) does not specify that.
“Which cases the committees will deal with will be decided by the GCZMA. They will forward the cases as per their requirement. Also, the District committees will not be the final decision making bodies,” he clarified.
The committees have to inquiry into the cases of alleged violations of CRZ norms and issue necessary directions or initiate action under the Environment Protection Act. The committee has also granted powers to take suo-motu cognizance of any illegal violations, including news paper report. Issuing show cause notices, stop work order, directions to mamletdars or government authorities, are also powers vested with the committee.
The committees will also has to deal with monitoring and to verify the compliance of the conditions stipulated in the permissions issued by the GCZMA for conduction any type of events and also temporary season structures permitted by them.
Of the total 480 cases, as many as 320 cases are pending before the inquiry committee for action while there are several cases in litigation, pending before National Green Tribunal (NGT), High Court and district Courts.
