PANAJI
In a bid to revive and protect the Khazan land, the Environment department has proposed setting up Khazan Board, whose decisions pertaining to these low-lying estuarine lands would be final will even override the Regional Plan, Outline Development Plans and other 21 land use policies of the government.
The expert committee under the Environment Department has drafted Khazan Management Plan, while proposing GIS based mapping of the land in order to understand the extent and distribution of salinity, which is crucial for its revival plan.
The plan was officially released by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday. The plan has zoned Khazan land into four categories -- K1- Low Salinity, K2-Moderate Salinity, K3-High Salinity and HK- Highly degraded.
“The key step in the Khazan Management Plan (KMP) is to officially set up the Khazan Board (or any similar agency the government chooses. This Board will manage all areas as zoned in four categories K1, K2, K3 and HK,” the plan said.
“Its decisions on land use will be final and will override the Regional Plan, ODPs, and other 21 land use policies — except the Goa Land Use Act of 1991, which will continue to be applied to lands under Agricultural Tenancy as these lands are also outside the scope of the TCP Act, 1974,” the plan added.
The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DOE&CC) will officially notify the formation of the Khazan Board and act as its secretariat and will define the Board’s legal powers, structure and responsibilities within six months.
“Once formed, the Board will prepare the detailed KMP based on the CRZ 2011 notification and the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). KMP will be reviewed and updated as per the CZMP and CRZ notification in force from time to time,” it said.
Khazan Lands are low-lying estuarine lands in Goa, reclaimed thousands of years ago and once known as the region’s rice bowl. It is mostly located in the low lying flood plains of Mandovi and Zuari estuaries (approx. 18,500Ha). As per CZMP 2011, National Centre for Sustainable Coastal management (NCSCM) report total area of Khazan land in Goa is 13,166 ha.
