In a rude shock to Goa, changes suggested in the draft coastal zone management plan by Goa have been turned down by the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA). In a meeting held in New Delhi to approve Goa's plan, the NCZMA rejected three crucial pleas -- deleting ports limits from the plan, the inclusion of 40.06 lakh sqmts of additional sand dunes identified by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority experts (reported exclusively in The Goan), and incorporating limits to coal handling in the plan.
The depiction of ports limit has been a contentious issue against the backdrop of the MPT getting the status of Major Port Authority and along with it sweeping powers over extensive portions of the coastline, even superseding local authorities and State government. The omission of sand dunes is another worrisome aspect. It would be a grave injustice to a State which is fighting for its environment and ecology not to find mention of a whopping 40.06 lakh sqmts sand dunes area.
If we may recollect, Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral had given an assurance on the floor of the House and had told journalists in February 2021 that his government is ready to take up issues on the plan with the Centre. Amid public outcry, assurances came thick and fast over concerns raised on the coastal plan. So, what has gone wrong now? Was Cabral bluffing, or was this not a priority? Will there be another promise of rectifying these discrepancies in the 2019 plan, now that the State is losing out? These and many other questions will need answers.
The MPT has maintained that the ports limit is not a new phenomenon, and probably Cabral would readily agree. The point here is about the sentiment of Goans and their concerns. It may be noted that there are many States where plans have been finalised without the depiction of port limits. Why is the Chennai-based agency National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, which was tasked with drawing up the draft plan, firm in demarcating port limits for Goa and giving a stamp of legitimacy to the contentious port’s limit?
Secondly, when the GCZMA team had found that the NCSCM had left out 40.06 lakh sqmts of sand dunes in its preliminary survey, why was a ground-truthing exercise not undertaken by the Chennai-based agency to verify the fresh data, and amend the plan accordingly? Exclusion of such vast portions of dunes only raises suspicion on the fairness of the survey, especially because vested interests and builder lobbies are lurking, trying to pounce on every metre of such precious coastal land.
If the NCSCM has had their way, the entire survey of the sand dunes done by the GCZMA would be an exercise in futility, and so will be the role of the Goa coastal authority in this exercise since none of their core submissions has been accepted or even deliberated. For Goa, this is catastrophic and cannot be accepted.
The drawing of the plan has been a roller-coaster ride trampling upon people’s expectations, hopes and aspirations right through, and probably we have reached an end-point staring at losing a crucial battle. We expect the environment minister to come clean on the status of the plan, and place in the public domain the points raised at the NCZMA meeting with the State environment secretary and officials of the GCZMA. The only ray of hope now is an intervention at the Central Environment Ministry level through a State government representation. We need to know whether Cabral will be in a position to move the Centre or whether Goans will have to resign to their fate.
