PANAJI
The actual boundaries of 41 islands along Goa’s coastline are yet to be mapped for the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019, with the Captain of Ports (CoP) having submitted only their indicative locations sourced from Google Earth to the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS).
The department, in a communication to the Environment Department, has clarified that the exercise to establish the precise boundaries is dependent on the acquisition of ground data, which will be forwarded for incorporation into the coastal plan once available.
Sources informed that the CoP has provided shapefiles indicating the locations of 41 islands, but has cautioned that the marked areas should not be construed as their geographical boundaries. "The department has stated that once the required ground data is obtained, it will be shared with the concerned authorities for updating the CZMP 2019," sources said.
The clarification forms part of the latest set of departmental inputs forwarded by the State government to NCESS on November 6 for consideration and incorporation into the revised draft CZMP before its final submission.
Apart from the island-related information, the Forest Department has submitted coral reef shapefiles pertaining to the Terekhol region, while the Directorate of Settlement and Land Records (DSLR) has provided cadastral overlay CZMP maps and updated local body boundary information.
The updated cadastral details cover Mormugao, Canacona, Bicholim, Bardez, Sanguem, Tiswadi, Salcete, Quepem, Ponda and Pernem talukas.
NCESS has been requested to examine all the inputs received from the departments and incorporate the relevant information into the revised draft CZMP 2019.
Earlier this year, the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) had expressed concern over the continued delay in finalisation of Goa's CZMP 2019 and has directed the State government to submit mandatory quarterly status reports to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
NCZMA had noted that while several coastal States and Union Territories have made significant progress in preparing and finalising their CZMPs under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, Goa continues to lag behind, hindering the overall implementation process.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) is yet to submit two key components -- the Environment Management Plan for ecologically sensitive areas and the Integrated Island Management Plan. Similarly, the Eco-Tourism Plan and Tourism Master Plan is awaited from the tourism department.
