MARGAO
An awareness programme conducted by the Colva village panchayat on the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) on Saturday revealed that the controversial plan is totally silent on the village sand dunes, beach shacks, water sports activities and the fishing activities of the traditional fishermen in the coastal village.
While the plan sent by the government only shows the fish mending nets, it does not reflect on the parking areas for the canoes of the traditional fishermen.
Villagers were agitated to find out that all the suggestions and changes mooted by the citizens to the VP find no mention in the CZMP sent by the government.
After a power-point presentation by Roshan Mathias and Capt Viriato Fernandes, Sarpanch Anthony Fernandes told the media that the panchayat will immediately send all the suggestions which were mooted at today’s presentation to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for incorporation in the plan.
While the Panchayat will submit the suggestion to the GCZMA on Monday, the panchayat has also decided to request the government extension of time to send the changes.
A visibly upset sarpanch said that the CZMP does not show the beach shacks, water sports activities and the fishermen’s activities. “Colva is a coastal village, but the CZMP has not taken into account the ground realities, including the sand dunes, which can be restored back to original condition,” Anthony said.
Capt Viriato said that there is confusion and doubts over the CZMP because Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral has been making confusing statements in the matter. “When the plan ought to have reflected all the features on the ground, including the High Tide Line, the structures, water level etc, the plan sent by the government is totally different. This is one reason why the people did not allow the public hearing to take place because there’s no clarity on the plan,” he said, adding, “The CZMP is also a plan to restore the sand dunes back to original condition.”
Disputing Cabral’s statement there’s no need to show the houses and structures of the local populace, Capt Viriato demanded to know how come the properties purchased by outsiders have already reflected on the CZMPs.
“The Port Limits has been suddenly shown on the CZMPs. If the houses of locals are not shown on the plan, a time will come when they will just ask the locals to get out of the properties and insist on the property documents,” he added.
