Environment Director Johnson Fernandes has said that there’s no problem if villagers and panchayat bodies have set out to draft the Coastal Zone Management Plan for their respective villages.
“Individuals and institutions are free to give their inputs to the department. After going through the process, the department will take a call on incorporating the inputs in the draft plan,” Johnson said.
The Goan called up the Environment Director to shed light on panchayat bodies and coastal communities have set in motion the process of drafting their own CZMPs for the villages.
“I see nothing wrong in the process. Individuals and institutions are free to come up with suggestions and inputs which will be looked into by the department,” he said.
Meanwhile, a group of Carmona villagers and stakeholders, including components of Comunidade body has set in motion the process to re-draft the Coastal Zone Management Plan with the help of citizens and coastal communities.
Local villager Wenzy Viegas informed that around 10 sluice gates were identified by the locals and plotted on the draft map during the exercise, which was attended by the components of the comunidade body, farmers, fishermen, landlords, etc.
He said the villages took a decision to re-draw the ancestral boundary as per the 1971 survey map on the west coast of Carmona, where it shows that Carmona village has a beach.
Wenzy further pointed out that a local Vithal Luis, landlord of a beach property, showed the coordinates of the Carmona border, which were plotted on the map and the 800 metres Carmona beach coastline was drawn on the Carmona CZMP map.
Benaulikars to prepare draft
CZMP report today
MARGAO: With the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) prepared by Chennai-based NCSCM silent on many a feature akin to the coastal village, Benaulikars will collectively set in motion its own exercise to prepare a draft report of CZMP for Benaulim village on August 23.
Based on the decision of the gram sabha held on August 18, Benaulim villagers will meet at the panchayat hall on Friday at 5 pm, to collect inputs and other information towards the preparation of the draft report on the CZMP for Benaulim village.
A villager Rudolf Barretto informed that the villagers will be guided by a resource person appointed by the village panchayat. He urged all stakeholders like fishermen, farmers, shack operators, water-sports operators, dairy farmers, salt pan farmers, etc, particularly those involved in activities around the beach area and alongside the river Sal to be present to provide their valuable inputs. Environmentalists and members of Bio-Diversity Committee (Benaulim) are also requested to be present.
Rudolf recalled that in the last meeting held in July, Benaulim villagers had carried out a thorough review of the proposed CZMP for the village prepared by NCSCM. “It was found that the proposed plan prepared by NCSCM has failed to demarcate important coastal features both natural and man-made. It is noted that the location of high tide line has been wrongly extended into aquaculture ponds and paddy fields. The fishing wards have been shown outside the CRZ area. The fishermen’s houses/huts have not been shown. Also the coconut tree which are dotting the coastline is not shown,” he added.
During the exercise scheduled on Friday, the villagers will deliberate on features and other proposals to be mapped in the village CZMP, including the sluice gates (mush), fishermen’s hut and communities, community canoe/fishing boat ramps, location of traditional fishing activities, aqua culture (manshios), etc.
