PANAJI
The long-delayed Goa Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 is now unlikely to be placed before the public for objections and suggestions before the next Assembly elections, with crucial environment and tourism-related plans still pending and key agencies seeking extensions until October-November this year.
The latest delay comes after the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) sought time till October to submit two critical components -- the Environment Management Plan for ecologically sensitive areas and the Integrated Island Management Plan. The Tourism Department has similarly requested time until October-November to finalise the Eco-Tourism Plan and Tourism Master Plan.
Senior officials indicated that the finalisation of the coastal planning framework, pending since 2019, has effectively been pushed beyond the election cycle. "It is most unlikely that the plan will go before public consultation this year. It will happen next year after the Assembly elections," a senior official said.
Officials said all four plans are mandatory components that must be integrated into the draft CZMP before it can be placed in the public domain for objections and suggestions.
The delay adds another chapter to the prolonged CZMP saga. Prepared under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, the plan has missed multiple deadlines over the years, including the May 2024 deadline fixed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for its completion.
Goa now remains the only one among the country's 11 coastal States where the CZMP 2019 finalisation process continues to remain incomplete.
The draft CZMP, prepared by the Thiruvananthapuram-based National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), was submitted to the State government in January this year. The Environment Department subsequently circulated the draft to various government departments and agencies seeking comments and feedback.
Meanwhile, the government has initiated corrections to the draft maps. The Captain of Ports has been directed to assist NCESS in removing port limits depicted in the draft CZMP before the document is placed before the public.
“We had sourced data relating to minor ports such as Panjim, Chapora, Tiracol, Sal and Talpona from the Captain of Ports, while details of major port limits, including Betul, were obtained from the Mormugao Port Authority and incorporated into the draft maps. CoP and MPA are asked to work with NCESS to make the changes,” official said.
As reported earlier, the State government has accepted the long-pending demand to permit traditional fisherfolk to construct dwelling units within the 100-200 metre stretch from the High Tide Line (HTL).
Under the proposed framework, housing for traditional fishing communities in this zone would be regulated rather than prohibited, marking a major departure from earlier restrictions and potentially benefiting hundreds of coastal families.
Officials said the Mangrove Management Plan, Khazan Management Plan and Turtle Nesting Plan have already been prepared and form part of the broader CZMP framework.
