PANAJI
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has asked the Goa Forest Development Corporation (GFDC) to submit a detailed action plan for its proposal to plant cashew saplings along beach areas to help tackle sand erosion.
At a recent meeting, the GCZMA told the GFDC to provide the plan before it considers giving Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the project.
The GFDC has proposed to plant cashew saplings in the No Development Zones of CRZ areas.
The proposal notes that similar cashew plantations already exist in CRZ zones of Varca, Carmona and Cavelossim and have worked well. The Corporation also mentioned that other states such as Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu have taken similar steps to stabilise sand dunes along their coasts.
“The primary objective is to address beach and sand dune erosion through cashew plantation,” the proposal stated.
The Corporation said it will choose plantation sites in consultation with the GCZMA and local village panchayats. The GFDC will take care of the plantations for three years.
A study by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) shows that from 2010 to 2024, 25–27 per cent of Goa’s 193.9km coastline was affected by erosion—about 48–52km. The study also found that erosion has increased by 3–6 per cent in just five years, from the 21–22 per cent seen in 2019–2020.
