MARGAO
The Colva Civic and Consumer Forum has demanded the immediate dissolution of the incumbent Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and appointment of a new Authority that will be committed to protecting the coastal environment and the rights of the coastal communities of Goa.
In a letter to Union Minister for Environment and Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, the Forum said the GCZMA was constituted by the Government of India with the aim of safeguarding the coastal ecosystem and regulating development activities in the State’s coastal regions.
“However, we perceive that it has encountered impediments in its functioning, primarily due to political interference, incompetence, and extraneous factors. The laxity in performing its statutory duties has led to a lamentable shortfall in the discharge of its responsibilities and a complete breakdown of its administrative machinery,” stated Forum Secretary Judith Almeida.
She added: “This dereliction of duty poses a significant hazard to the coastal environment of Goa. In light of these circumstances, it is incumbent upon the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to take swift and decisive action to redress the problems plaguing the GCZMA.”
She further stated that the GCZMA’s failure to comply undermines the authority of the State’s Chief Secretary and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). “It’s failure to dispose of regular complaint matters within three months of initiation is a serious lapse in its duty to protect the coastal environment of Goa,” she added.
Saying the CRZ Notification prohibits construction of residential units within the CRZ area except by traditional fisher and coastal communities within fishing villages, Almeida said the approval of the residential building in Candolim is therefore in gross violation of the law. “The inconsistent and discriminatory interpretation of the law is a matter of serious concern, raising doubts about some external considerations in the decision-making process,” she added.
Saying that protection of the livelihood of fisher and coastal communities is among the primary goals of the CRZ Notification, as stated in its preamble, she, however, said traditional fishermen residing in Morjim were recently denied permission to repair their crematorium by the GCZMA, which demanded documents to prove its existence prior to 1991.
