PANAJI
The Federation of Rainbow Warriors has approached the Bombay High Court at Goa seeking to quash the government’s notification calling for a public hearing on the CZMP 2011 which has been scheduled for March 7.
The band of environmental warriors has sought that the hearings be held at the level of each village rather than one for the whole of North Goa District -- which has been scheduled at the Taleigao Community Centre -- and another for the whole of South Goa District which has been scheduled at Ravindra Bhavan Margao.
“We do not believe that it will be possible for the villages of each village to place forth their issues at these public hearings and seek clarifications from the authorities on a single day where 100 villages will need time to talk. Instead, we want that the government first explain the plan to the villages and only then hold public hearings at the village level,” Abhijit Prabhudesai told reporters.
The CZMP plan 2011 has been prepared by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and was to be completed in 2014 but several years later is still to be finalised. In the absence of the plan, the National Green Tribunal has ordered that no permissions under the Coastal Regulation Zone be granted which has resulted in the stalling of several projects.
