The draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 has once again ignited a wave of protests across villages in Salcete, raising serious concerns about the intent, transparency and environmental implications. The government claims that the exercise is a routine effort to update coastal management policies, but a cursory glance shows discrepancies. It may be early days, but the mounting opposition from local communities, environmental activists, and political leaders only points to the fact that the people could be at warpath once again with the State government.
The 2011 plan prepared by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) had its own share of controversies. A major objection was over the demarcation of Port limits encompassing areas like the Zuari River’s seaside slopes (Dona Paula, Siridao, Cortalim), Chicalim bays, Baina beach’s No Development Zone (NDZ), a strip along the Velsao-Cansaulim-Arossim dunes and portions of Carmona and Cavelossim. Also, around 46 lakh sq mts of sand dunes were excluded; there was incorrect classification of land with regard to the mapping of mangroves, and portions of villages and even some churches found no mention.
When CZMP 2019 was taking shape, one hoped that all those errors would be rectified, as per the assurances of the authorities. It comes as a surprise that the Port limits, which were eventually dropped in the 2011 plan, make a re-entry. The sand dunes have not come back, neither have some of the major concerns of the past addressed.
The most contentious issue is the port limits because there are implications on the landscape of Goa. It is implied that such a demarcation could effectively override No Development Zone safeguards, threaten khazan lands and open up land for rampant development. It also triggers a fear that such classification could lead to reduced NDZ buffers along rivers and the coast based on population figures. Plainly looking at it, the MPA appears to be empowered and given complete control over the land demarcated under its limits, giving it freedom over the area in question.
Furthermore, the process by which the CZMP has been prepared and communicated to the public raises questions and more suspicion. Many community representatives, from village panchayats to environmental groups, have expressed outrage at the hurry. The plans are in fine-print and too technical for the common citizen to understand. To the limited information that has come out so far, villagers have argued that there has been less of “ground-truthing” and many aspects of the plan are away from reality with the omission of houses, sand dunes and water bodies.
It appears that lessons have not been learnt from the 2011 plan failures. Goa needs a holistic and well-planned coastal plan that safeguards the landscape. There can’t be compromises on rivers, khazan lands, sand dunes and the other elements that constitute the identity of Goa. A failure to depict a realistic picture of Goa in the plan could be catastrophic and may lead to the complete destruction of whatever is being protected for now. It is baffling how the errors of 2011 are not rectified in 2019. We are not only surprised by the omissions, but also by the fact that the backlash back then has been forgotten.
Such a haphazard draft triggers suspicion of a malaise rooted in hidden agendas. The purpose of the plan should be to balance development with environmental conservation. Coastal management is about procedural integrity, people’s participation and environmental prudence. Transparency forms the core of this exercise. Goa needs a plan that safeguards its coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods of people.
