Who is to blame for the coastal mess that the State is facing today? The Coastal Zone Management Authority has taken people for granted and given them barely a few days’ notice to clear off over 1000 structures which are in violation of coastal zone regulations. This brings us to another argument: where was the law all this while and why was there was no enforcement till now?
Coastal encroachment is not a new subject in Goa. The coastline is a perfect picture of how blatant and deep CRZ violations go. In the guise of temporary structures, commercial structures have covertly taken shape. Parallel runs the story of shacks spreading out their structures virtually into the sea. But where was the enforcement? It’s a crying shame that the NGT took up Goa’s concerns while authorities in the State turned a nelson’s eye to these glaring violations.
This is not the first time that the GCZMA got a NGT rap; in fact there have been many, yet the coastal body remained unmoved. In December 2016, the NGT used biblical quotes to express its angst over an illegal construction of the Chapora jetty. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” These lines have a direct bearing on the way the GCZMA is functioning and there can’t be a bigger embarrassment than this. In September last year the tribunal ruled that all traditional dwellings within 200 metres of the High Tide Line cannot be used for commercial purposes. And that was followed with another reprimand in February this year. But still, nothing changed. Reluctance on the part of State authorities to crack the whip is clear as daylight.
The question that needs to be raised is: are we going to sell our beaches in the name of tourism? How much commercialisation of the coastline are we going to allow? The State’s coastline is undergoing a change and constant soil erosion is threatening to change the contours. Goa’s tourism is historically based on our once-pristine beaches, which are now turning into an eyesore. Even the world-famous Morjim turtle nesting shore has not been spared, and yet nobody cared. It is another example of complete failure of State machinery to correct a wrong.
The coastal body cannot take solace in the fact that they decided to go ahead with the demolitions ahead of the NGT rap. It’s doesn’t reflect a sense of seriousness, rather it shows that the blindfold was on throughout the season even after it had been sounded two months back. Demolition notices should have been served then. This only indicates a tacit understanding since the demolition exercise has only come at a time when coastal businesses are folding up towards the end of the tourist season. Where there is a will, there is a way. And it is clear that the coastal body has lost both.
