PANAJI
The National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) has expressed concern over the continued delay in finalisation of Goa's Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 and has directed the State government to submit mandatory quarterly status reports to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) on the progress made.
During its meeting held last month, the NCZMA noted that while several coastal States and Union Territories have made significant progress in preparing and finalising their CZMPs under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019, Goa continues to lag behind, hindering the overall implementation process.
According to the minutes of the meeting, Goa remains the only coastal State where preparation of the draft CZMP is still underway. In contrast, all other coastal States and UTs have either completed the draft preparation and public consultation process or have already finalised their plans. States such as Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala, along with Lakshadweep, have completed the exercise.
"The Authority urged the State to expedite the completion of CZMP and also directed the States/UTs to submit quarterly status reports to the Ministry in this regard," the minutes stated.
The NCZMA further suggested that an urgent meeting be convened under the chairmanship of the Additional Secretary, MoEFCC, with Principal Secretaries of all coastal States and UTs to accelerate the updation and revision of CZMPs, Integrated Coastal Regulation Zone Plans (ICRZPs) and Integrated Island Management Plans (IIMPs) in accordance with the CRZ Notification, 2019.
The latest direction comes amid mounting delays in Goa's CZMP preparation, which has already missed multiple deadlines, including the May 2024 deadline set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
As reported earlier by The Goan, the long-pending CZMP 2019 is now unlikely to be placed in the public domain for objections and suggestions before the next Assembly elections, with several crucial environment and tourism-related planning documents still awaiting completion.
The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) has sought an extension until October to submit two key components — the Environment Management Plan for ecologically sensitive areas and the Integrated Island Management Plan. Similarly, the Tourism Department has requested time until October-November to finalise the Eco-Tourism Plan and Tourism Master Plan.
The draft CZMP, prepared by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), Thiruvananthapuram, was submitted to the State government in January this year. However, officials have maintained that all four plans are mandatory components that must be integrated into the CZMP before the draft can be released for public consultation.
