PANAJI
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has constituted a committee comprising experts and scientists to ascertain the objections and suggestions regarding mangroves and buffer areas which were raised during the two public hearings on the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) on July 8.
The GCZMA has also asked different departments concerned to ascertain facts regarding other objections and suggestions which were raised during the two public hearings.
The GCZMA is in process of finalising the draft CZMP after receiving 3,493 suggestions and objections from North Goa and 4,016 suggestions and objections from South Goa.
GCZMA has classified these objections and suggestions in different categories and found there were major objections on wrong or non-depiction of khazan lands, sluice gates, bunds, fishing zones, fish breeding areas, fishing wards, fishing village boundaries, sand dunes, high tide line, mangroves or buffer for mangroves and heritage sites in the draft CZMP.
The GCZMA had met after the public hearing on July 15 and decided to constitute a committee comprising Dr Simon D’Souza, Dr M P S Varde, Dr Prabhakar Shirodkar and Dr Vinod Dhargalkar to carry out ground reality studies on the objections and suggestions received about mangroves and buffer for mangroves and to submit a report in the connection.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has also been assigned the task to ascertain facts about objections and suggestions raised on Khazan, sluice gates and bunds.
Objections and suggestions regarding fishing zones, fish breeding areas, fishing wards and boundaries of fishing villages has to be ascertained by the fisheries department.
A team of experts’ members at GCZMA will look into objections and suggestions regarding sand dunes and high tide line. The TCP and archive and archaeology department will have to ascertain the heritage sites mentioned during hearing which are not listed in the CZMP.
The GCZMA has to finalise the CZMP by August 31 to comply directions of the National Green Tribunal.
