MARGAO
Reiterating its demand for the postponement of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) public hearing for South Goa on July 8, members of the civil society on Monday urged district Collector, South Ruchika Katyal to invoke powers under the Disaster Management Act to defer the hearing and protect the lives of the people.
Members of the civil society, who called on the district Collector on Monday morning, said they will be left with no option than to knock the doors of the Judiciary for the health and safety of the people if the government does not defer the scheduled hearing.
A delegation comprising of Zarina Da Cunha, Ramiro Mascarehnas, Gina Pereira, Adriano Baretto, Sabita Mascarenhas and others called on the district Collector to ascertain the fate of the June 16 letter made to the district authorities on the hearing and to reiterate their objection to the July 8 hearing.
Former Sarzora Sarpanch Sabita later told the media that the delegation urged the Collector to invoke the Disaster Management Act to postpone the public hearing if the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) is not inclined to defer the hearing. “The Collector tried to assure us that social distancing will be maintained at the venue, but we insisted that the venue will not accommodate thousands of people and they will be only put to great risk with Delta-plus is around and experts predicting the third COVID wave”, she said, adding that the district authorities will have to share the blame if anything goes wrong during and after the hearing.
Ramiro Mascarenhas demanded that the district Collector, in her capacity as the head of the district disaster management authority, should get the government defer the July 8 hearing in view of the imminent third wave and the wet spell around mid-July.
Ramiro demanded to know how the farming community is expected to attend the July 8 public hearing when they are busy in the fields at this point of time.
Activist Zarinha Da Cunha said the district Collector cannot wash her hands off by saying she has no power to defer the hearing, saying the Collector can invoke provisions of the Disaster Management Act to defer the scheduled hearing. “Assembly of persons during pandemic may prove detrimental to the thousands of people attending the hearing. We have already lost over 3000 people and we should not encourage an assembly of people when the third wave is predicted any time”, Zarina said.
The petition made an appeal to the Collector to exercise the power vested upon her and postpone the mass gathering to a more appropriate time as the state is on the onset of the COVID-19 Delta variants in the state. “We urge you to take a stand as we understand that public health and safety is your responsibility and not of the Member Secretary of GCZMA”, the petition said.
It added: “We cannot stress enough the reports that we read in the media of the higher transmissibility of the new Delta plus variant. The state is already aggrieved by the bereavement of over 3022 precious lives to the COVID-19 virus in the deadly 2nd wave last month and cannot endanger any more lives by such gathering wherein large masses are expected to participate”.
Hearing is being conducted to
meet court deadline: Cabral
PANAJI: Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral said the coastal plan hearing is for meeting the deadline set by the court and that the government cannot postpone it.
"They have given their representation. I have not read it. We will see what can be done after reading it,” said Cabral adding that public hearing cannot be a political gathering.
"Last three public hearings were like political gatherings. People who are sincere should give representation in proper format", said Cabral adding that of 5,000 representations 2,500 were baseless.
He said as some people have already approached court seeking postponement of the hearing, we will postpone it if the court says.
