PANAJI
As coastal violations continue unchecked in Goa -- a State that once accounted for over 50 per cent of all Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations reported in India -- the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) has pulled up the State and directed it to submit year-wise data on CRZ violation cases reported since 2022, along with monthly status reports detailing action taken on each violation.
Signalling mounting concern over persistent regulatory failure and weak enforcement along the coastline, the NCZMA, in a direction issued to all States and Union Territories, has asked authorities to take strict action against CRZ violations in accordance with powers already delegated under Sections 5, 10 and 19 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The national body has underlined that enforcement cannot remain ad hoc and must translate into concrete, deterrent action on the ground.
“The State Coastal Zone Management Authorities (SCZMA) were directed to submit the total number of cases recorded annually since 2022, to enable assessment of trends in CRZ violation cases,” the NCZMA informed the State during its recent meeting. It also asked the State to furnish details of procedures followed for identification and handling of violation cases to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
To tighten monitoring and accountability, the NCZMA has mandated submission of case-wise action taken reports on a monthly basis, clearly indicating the status of each violation. In addition, SCZMA is been instructed to review action taken by District Level Committees (DLCs) or District Coastal Zone Monitoring Committees (DCZMCs) at least once every two months. “A consolidated quarterly report is to be forwarded to the Ministry for appraisal and placed before the NCZMA,” it said.
The national coastal watchdog has also directed the State to analyse the nature of reported violations to design targeted sensitisation programmes aimed at minimising future infractions.
Data placed on record by the NCZMA during the meeting reveal that as of March 2023, 1,878 cases of CRZ notification violations were reported across the country over a five-year period. Of these, 974 cases- amounting to 51.86 per cent -- were reported from Goa alone, making it the single largest contributor to CRZ violations in India.
Information available indicates that complaints of CRZ violations in Goa have shown no decline. Data from the last four years—from January 2022 to December 2025—show that the Goa CZMA received over 550 complaints, with Bardez taluka accounting for the highest number at 255 cases, followed by Canacona with 102 and Pernem with 80, reflecting sustained development pressure along both the northern and southern coastal belts.
Despite the high volume of complaints, environmental groups have repeatedly flagged delays in action, weak enforcement and lack of deterrence as key factors enabling continued violations. Reiterating this concern, the NCZMA stressed that “SCZMA, being primarily responsible for enforcement of the provisions of the CRZ notification, must take prompt and effective action on CRZ violations as per the powers delegated under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.”
