MARGAO
Expressing shock and outrage that the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) prepared with inputs from the fishermen community has not found mention in the new CZMP, the traditional fishermen inhabiting the banks of River Sal have called upon the government to reschedule the day-long public hearings scheduled on March 7 at the panchayat level after the coastal plans are explained to the gram sabhas.
The traditional fishermen under the banner of AVCB traditional Fishermen Association have demanded that the government withdraw the public hearing notification and issue fresh notification to hold the public hearings at the village level.
“The fisher folk of Velim, Ambelim, Assolna, Chinchinim, Cavelosssim, Carmona, Deussua and most of the other CRZ affected villages, along with their Village Panchayats, had painstakingly prepared detailed CZMPs for their village. Shockingly, an entirely new CZMP is now produced which cannot be understood by us due to the new legends and differences from the maps prepared by us. The new plans must be explained to us first, before the Public Hearings are held”, the fishermen Association stated in letter addressed to the Member Secretary, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority and the Member Secretary, Goa State Pollution Control Board.
The Government of Goa has fixed public hearings for objections and suggestions on March 7, 2021 at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao for South Goa and at Taleigao Community Hall for North Goa, both from 10 am to 7 pm.
“We the fisher folk of River Sal, wish to point out that this schedule for the public hearing will not meet the requirements of effective participation, since it will be impossible for the affected people to attend and participate effectively in the exercise”, the Association said.
Saying the CZMPs for each District of Goa affect lakhs of residents, it was pointed out that the public hearing cannot be done in one day, or even over a number of days, in the present format. “Each individual khazan, stretch of river, inland water body, beach or coastal plain has numerous issues that need to be placed at the public hearing before the authorities responsible for preparing the maps.
Therefore, the Public Hearing must be held at the panchayat level”, the Association demanded.
It added: “Our fisher folk association and other associations and communities of fisher folk and farmers across Goa cannot attend the public hearings if they are to be held miles away from our villages. Many fisher folk and farmers do not have the means to travel to Margao or Taleigao, or the time required to participate in a public hearing held at District Level, since the participation will be so huge that the hearing will go on for days and even weeks. The elderly, weak, sick, vulnerable and those without transportation means cannot be expected to attend public hearings at Ravindra Bhavan at Margao.
Please arrange the public hearings at panchayat level so that knowledgeable persons can attend and participate so that the objective of the procedure is met”.
A resident of Ambelim Cruz Silva has said the Association has set five days time to the two authorities to consider the request to hold the public hearing exercise at the panchayat level, saying the people will chalk out the future course of action.
