PANAJI
Amid growing public apprehensions, the State government has decided to write to the Thiruvananthapuram-based National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), seeking removal of port limits depicted in the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 before it is opened for public consultation.
The draft CZMP 2019, submitted to the Environment Department in January, has been circulated among various State departments and authorities for inter-departmental consultation. While the initial deadline for submitting inputs was February 28, it has since been extended.
Director of Environment, Sachin Desai, confirmed that the consultation process is still underway. “We are receiving inputs. Once the process is complete, the government will decide on the timeline for inviting public suggestions, objections and comments,” he said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Secretariat indicated that the government has resolved to request NCESS to remove port limits and other contentious features from the draft before placing it in the public domain. “Being an election year, the government is cautious and does not want to take any step that may trigger public backlash,” sources said.
They further stated that, in line with assurances made by the Chief Minister on the floor of the House, the draft plan will only be opened for public consultation after the removal of port limits that appear to extend into village areas.
“At present, the State follows the CRZ Notification, 2011, which specifies that the No Development Zone (NDZ) does not apply to areas within notified port limits,” sources noted.
Officials also pointed out that a similar issue had arisen during the preparation of CZMP 2011, following which, port limits were excluded from the final plan. “The agency was instructed to use CZMP 2011 as the base for drafting the new plan, and that plan did not show port limits,” sources added.
The issue was raised through a calling attention motion by Opposition MLAs, who expressed concern that extensive port limits shown within village boundaries in the draft CZMP could bring large stretches of rivers and riverbanks under port jurisdiction. This, they warned, could adversely impact traditional access and rights of local communities, including fishermen and riparian villages.
The Environment Department had sourced data on minor port limits --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 CZMP maps.
