PANAJI
In a major relief to structures existing on lands declared as mangrove zones, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has said that coastal regulation zone (CRZ) norms will not be made applicable retrospectively to such structures that were standing before the land was declared as mangrove buffer zone in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2011
During its meeting held on October 28, GCZMA said that the plan was notified only on September 7, 2022, while some structures in the mangrove buffer zone have been in existence much before it was declared as protected zone.
The decision was taken following a complaint filed by Trajano D’Mello pertaining to illegal construction in the no development zone (NDZ) in Aldona village. Following the complaint, the GCZMA’s expert members conducted the site inspection and noted that there are sluice gates on both the sides of the property and a bundh on two sides. The Authority noted that is jurisdiction lies up to the sluice gates and the property in question is beyond the CRZ purview.
The Authority also observed that on Goa approved CZMP 2011, both the sluice gates were marked by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), who drafted the plan.
“With regards to the plot falling within the mangrove area, as per the CZMP 2011, as declared on September 7, 2022, these structures will not be affected as these structures were standing long before the area was declared as mangrove buffer,” the Authority said.
“The declaration in the CZMP 2011, will now not apply retrospectively to any structure existing before the area being declared as mangrove buffer zone,” it ruled.
On these grounds, the GCZMA dismissed the complaint as being devoid of any merits.
Earlier in August, the State coastal regulatory body had said that any construction works that commenced and completed with statutory approvals before CZMP 2011 came into force, cannot be treated as violation of CRZ norms.
“The Authority, is of the considered view that construction activities which were commenced and completed prior to the final notification of the CZMP 2011 and which were backed by the requisite statutory approvals, cannot retrospectively be treated as violation of CRZ norms,” GCZMA had said.
