MARGAO
The residents of Betalbatim Village Panchayat have resolved to ask the Government to scrap the new Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) and adopt the plans prepared by the people and submitted in 2019.
The residents expressed shock with the announcement by GCZMA that a public hearing will be held on March 7, 2021, for the finalization of the new Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs) prepared by the Government of Goa.
The residents, the members and the Sarpanch of the Village Panchayat Constancio Miranda met on an emergency basis to study and discuss the new plans received.
The villagers discussed the CZMPs and noted that these plans will determine the survival of the local communities and the future generations.
The villagers expressed their anguish that the detailed and accurate plans produced by the villagers and the village panchayat with massive efforts had been totally ignored by the Government. It was noted that the legend of the new CZMPs itself did not accommodate many of the features of the CRZ, such as the traditional footpaths that are critical for the local economies.
It was seen that none of the fresh water bodies (‘gayre’, ‘pandyo’ and ‘tollim’) within CRZ, which are critical for the village, were demarcated on the new plans, though they were accurately shown in the plans submitted by the panchayat.
It was observed that sand dunes were incorrectly marked or missing, threatening the village. It was observed that the structures of the local communities existing within the CRZ were not demarcated at all in the new CZMPs, though they are shown on the plans submitted by the panchayat in 2019. It was also seen that the religious structures within CRZ are not demarcated. The shacks of the local communities are also not shown on the new plans, to the dismay of those involved in the local tourism sector, the Sarpanch added.
After detailed discussions, the residents of Betalbatim resolved to ask the Government to scrap the new CZMPs and adopt the plans prepared by the people and submitted in 2019.
The village panchayat and the people also decided to write a letter to the authorities stating the errors seen within the preliminary review of the new CZMPs, and inviting GCZMA and NCSCM to the village to see the ground reality for themselves.
The villagers unitedly agreed to fight to ensure that the CZMPs are prepared properly to protect the local communities and the environment, which are the objectives of the CRZ Notification 2011.
