THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has recommended the proposed reconstruction and extension of the existing jetty in Panaji, opposite the Old Secretariat building, to the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for environmental clearance.
The decision was taken at the authority's recent meeting after the River Navigation Department (RND) submitted a Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the project.
The proposal to extend the existing RCC jetty, located adjacent to Survey Nos. 35/37 and 35/38 in Panaji, had earlier been kept on hold until the Rapid EIA study was completed.
"The RND complied with the decision and submitted the EIA and EMP reports before the authority. After detailed discussion and deliberation, the Authority decided to recommend the project to Goa SEIAA," the meeting minutes stated.
The Rapid EIA study was required to ensure that the jetty extension would not harm the Mandovi river's ecology, benthic organisms, mangroves or marine life, and that all environmental regulations would be followed.
Official records show the site is about 9.2 metres from the Mandovi river and falls entirely under CRZ-IVB as a jetty area under the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2011. While the site has no sand dunes or vegetation, mangroves were observed along its edge.
The proposed L-shaped jetty will have two arms measuring 25 metres and 15 metres. It will be built using M35 grade concrete and Fe 500 TMT reinforcement steel, with bollards fixed into the RCC deck and beam system.
