the goan I network
MARGAO
Taking no chances after the fiasco by the Chennai-based NCSCM, Saxttikars seemed to have employed all mediums to draft the Coastal Zone Management Plan for their villages “ right from motorised boats to drones, students and experts.
If the fishing communities inhabiting the banks of River Sal, along the Ambelim, Assolna Velim belt employed country-made motorised canoes to map the fishing activities in the river Sal, Varca village employed the drones to carry out the survey along the coastal belt in a bid to obtain the features on the ground. Other coastal villages, including Colva and Benaulim have used the expertise of the Citizens of Coastal Communities as well as Geology students of Chowgule College to ensure that the ground reality finds mention on the CZMP.
Says former Varca Sarpanch, Roland Fernandes: “The Varca panchayat roped in an agency to carry out the drone survey of the coastal areas of the village so that all the features are mapped properly on the draft-plan. We expect the agency to submit the plan prepared by the drone in a day or two, after which the villagers will give approval for the CZMP before it is forwarded to the government for approval”.
Former Ambelim Sarpanch Cruz Silva echoed similar sentiments. “We deployed a motorized canoe to get the ground reality in the river Sal before mapping the fishing activities in the river Sal. The river Sal plays host to the rich habitat of various species of shell fish, including tistreos, kubes, shenanios, kalva etc. Besides, the river Sal plays host to fishing stakes, right from Betul-Cutbona, to Ambelim, Assolna and right up to
the Orlim bridge. All these features were missing from the draft-CZMP and the fishing communities from Ambelim, Velim, Assolna and Chinchinim decided to deploy canoes to map the fishing activities”.
The Geology students of Chowgule college have lent their help and assistance to the village Panchayats in the preparation of the village Plan. These students were roped in by the fishing communities of Velim, Ambelim and Assolna as well as by the coastal villages of Colva and Benaulim to conduct field trips in order to bring the ground reality on the plan.
Members of the Citizens of Coastal Communities, including social activists, Abhijit Prabhudesai and Wenzy Viegas, have been literally hopping from one coastal and riverine village to the other in a bid to provide their expertise to prepare the CZMP for their respective villages.
Meanwhile, the Carmona stake holders met on Sunday to finalise the re-drafted CZMP maps for their village. A total of 16 sluice gates have now been marked on the draft plan while mangroves grown in fields next to the river have been marked separately, shacks were marked on the Carmona beach along with a old traditional fishermen kudd (hut).
The redrafted plan for Carmona will be digitalised and placed before the villagers for final approval on August 28 at 5pm at Carmona Panchayat Hall.
