the goan I network
MARGAO
An extra ordinary gram sabha of Loutolim Village Panchayat on Sunday called for the rejection of proposed Coastal Zone Management Plans and the public hearing scheduled on July 7, with gram sabha members demanding that that the process be carried out as per law and the aspirations of the people be considered by first consulting them.
At the meeting chaired by Sarpanch Philipina Fernandes, gram sabha members while calling upon the authorities to visit the sites with the people and after obtaining informed consent of the local communities, before preparing the draft for the public hearing, demanded that the public hearings be held at every Panchayat and seek inputs on
the plan.
Social activist Abhijit Prabhudesai held a power point presentation for the benefit of the gram sabha members before the gram sabha adopted a resolution stating that the CZMPs notified for public hearing on July 7 have been prepared by National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) without consulting or even informing the indigenous communities of Goa.
Members said the CZMPs prepared by NCSCM will completely destroy the rights of the Goan indigenous communities without even consulting them, adding that these CSMPs are therefore completely illegal.
“The Plans prepare by NCSCM without consulting the indigenous communities who own the coasts of Goa are illegitimate and must be rejected completely,” the resolution stated, while demanding that fresh CZMPs must be prepared in consultation with the indigenous communities of Goa
Gram sabha members pointed out that the NCSCM and government authorities involved in the preparation of the CZMPs have failed to inform or consult the village panchayat.
The members claimed that CZMPs for Goa prepared in 1996 under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, 1991 which are in forced today, have not been made available to the people, making it impossible to compare and see the benefits or losses to the people and the environment due to changes proposed by the proposed CSMPs under the CRZ notification 2011.
“The report fails to provide any details of the primary data collection carried out by NCSCM, making it impossible to review or examine the veracity of the same,” the resolution stated, adding “NCSCM has never come to our villages or consulted any
of us.”
The CRZ of Goa has seen great destruction at the hands of big hotels, industries, ports and shipping, highways etc, the gram sabha members said none of these destruction constructions/activities have been shown on the maps prepared by NCSCM.
“NCSCM has intentionally concealed this most essential information in order to make the review and consultation meaningless,” it stated.
The resolution further stated that the designated venues, Taleigao community hall, Caranzalem and Ravindra bhavan, Margao do not have the capacity to accommodate all the traditional fisherfolk form 103 fishing villages of North Goa district and 70 fishing villages from South, besides hundreds of other citizens.
“Public hearing for both North and South Goa has been scheduled on the same day. Many stakeholders, both individual and associations, must participate in both districts, as they have fishing, scientific, environmental, social and other interests in CRZ areas in both the district. It will be impossible for such persons and associations to participate in both hearings, rendering both the hearings a failure,” the resolution added.
