The strictures passed against the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) by the Chief Secretary were long overdue. The GCZMA, which is tasked with ensuring that Goa’s precious coast is ‘managed’ in an effective manner to preserve its original beauty that has drawn millions of visitors ever since the dawn of tourism more than five decades ago, has been found wanting when it comes to protecting the coastline. Successive studies have found that the built-up area along Goa’s coast has only increased since the year 1991 and today the coast stands more concretized than ever before.
As the Chief Secretary admitted in an affidavit before the NGT, a single matter concerning the demolition of a beach resort in Calangute came before the GCZMA 13 times across two and a half years, out of which an adjournment was given at the request of the plaintiffs and thrice at the request of the respondents. That apart, the authority adjourned the matter twice. Thus frequent adjournments, totalling six out of the 13 times the matter was taken up, were given by the GCZMA in the case. This despite the case being an open shut one in which CZMP clearly shows that the Survey Nos 243/13A and 243/4 fall within the 200 metres of the High Tide Line i.e, within the No Development Zone where the offending structures had come up.
Long delays in acting against offending structures, delays in demolition to enable the owners to claim the maximum benefit of peak season, as well as adjournments being granted on silly grounds have become the order of the day for the GCZMA. The coastal body has ended up resembling a bureaucratic organisation that is not only slow-moving but also highly ineffective against offenders.
No doubt, the officials manning the GCZMA can legitimately claim that the government has been deliberately crippling its functioning through a lack of support in terms of adequate staff, which they allege is done at the behest of politicians and those in government. The Chief Secretary in his memorandum has attempted to address the issue by asking the member secretary of the GCZMA to “assess the manpower, software and hardware requirements and put it into place for better efficiency of the GCZMA and performance.” This would be easier said than done if there isn’t a political will, or rather if there are political interests at play.
Strictures from the High Court, the NGT and even the Supreme Court in the past appear to have had little effect on the functioning of the coastal authority. It has been reduced to an administrative body hearing cases, interpreting judicial orders, and reading maps to determine the legality of structures, thus leaving it very little time to do any actual environmental protection or promote awareness in general.
It reflects the sad state of affairs only compounded by the fact that political and business interests lie in parcelling up and selling off Goa’s coastal stretches to the highest bidder. Even the best mechanisms appear to falter in the wake of the onslaught of capitalistic greed. One hopes at least the Chief Secretary will follow up on his memorandum and ensure that it is implemented both in letter and spirit.
