MARGAO
Goans Against CRZ 2018 on Sunday renewed its call to the government to scrap the draft CRZ notification and immediately withdraw the latest amendment dated July 2, 2018, saying the proposal will displace the traditional communities dependent on the coast for their livelihood.
Members of the organization, a federation of all unions and political parties, who descended on the Benaulim beach on Sunday to protest against notification, urged the Congress party to effectively raise the issue in the ensuing Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly.
The activists pointed out that Goa will completely lose its fragile coastline of only 105 km at a time when 25 km is already eroded. If the notification is brought into force, traditional communities will be displaced, they stated.
They warned that the notification will spell doom for the tourism industry, reminding that 14 million tourists visit Goa for its beaches.
Addressing the meeting, Olencio Simoes said the draft CRZ notification 2018 is a blatant violation of environment protection act 1986. “The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change dated 9th December, 2016, had exempted building and construction projects from mandatory requirement of obtaining Environment Clearance. This order of the MOEF was quashed aside by the Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi in application 677 of 2016. This has shown that today government is the biggest defaulter of the environmental laws rather then private companies or individuals,” he added.
He further said by bringing in the draft notification 2018, the government under the Sagarmala project wants to achieve its three pillars of focus of ports development i.e increasing coal cargo handling capacity by 3500 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), modernising port infrastructure and developing integrated transport infrastructure for connecting the coast to the hinterland. “In Goa Sagarmala project will modernize and expand Mormugao Port Trust ( MPT) so that it can increase coal handling from existing 4 MMTPA to 100 MMTPA,” he added.
Kennedy Afonso said the government formed without a mandate is blind to the voices of its citizens. He called upon the people to launch a sustained battle in the Assembly, villages and the hinterland.
He said the Congress MLAs, who have joined the movement, should effectively raise the sentiments of the Goan people and get the notification scrapped.
Sudip Dalvi gave a call to the people to join the battle against the CRZ notification, saying the notification will destroy the state and its people.
Congress spokesman Amarnath Panjikar, who addressed the meeting, said the Congress party will fully supports the ongoing agitation and asserted that time has come to preserve the State for posterity. “Any attempt to destroy Goa will not be tolerated by the Congress party. We assure you that the Congress will oppose the notification both within the Assembly and outside,” Panjikar said. Party leaders Sankalp Amonkar, District President Joe Dias, PCC leader Subhash Faldesai, party spokesman Sidhanath Buyao were also present.
Aam Aadmi Party Benaulim candidate, Royla Fernandes, was amongst the speakers who addressed the meeting.
The meeting pointed out that the Union Ministry of Shipping’s decision to approve plans for nine fixed jetties, with four floating jetties at Old Goa, Banastarim, Borim, Shiroda, Durbhat, Cortalim, Aldona, Bicholim and Ribandar will eventually be converted for handling coal and to store coal stacks.
It noted coastal highways, smart cities, SEZs, industrial Corridors and freight corridors related infrastructure will be built by converting Goa’s 53 kms coastline, it added.
