CM sawant urges the union government to amend 2011 and 2019 CRZ rules says livelihoods and sand supply hit since 2018 ban
PANAJI
With CRZ regulations being a major hurdle in the resumption of sand mining activities in Goa — which has been shut since 2018 — Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has approached the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), demanding relaxation via an amendment to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notifications of 2011 and 2019, allowing sand extraction.
In a communication to Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, the Chief Minister has requested that Goa be considered as a special case and that a special relaxation — similar to the provisions extended to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where sand mining is permitted on a case-by-case basis for construction purposes — be granted.
Sawant said that the prohibition of sand extraction under the two CRZ notifications — 2011 and 2019 — has adversely affected the availability of sand in the State, besides the livelihood of dependent families.
The Chief Minister highlighted the issues pertaining to river morphology, sand availability, and its effect on the State economy.
This is Goa’s second attempt to demand relaxation, after its initial move in April last year failed to gain the Centre’s consideration.
CRZ notifications of 2011 and 2019 prohibit the extraction of sand in CRZ areas, and sustainable sand mining guidelines are framed considering dry riverbed mining in non-coastal parts of the country.
Sawant informed the Ministry that the State has conducted EIA/EMP modelling studies under the aegis of the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), which reported that there is not much sand available in the upper reaches of the river.
He pointed out that the available riverine materials like cobbles, pebbles, etc., are reducing the flow area of the river and causing floods. These deposits also reduce water storage capacity in bandharas and barrages, on which drinking and agricultural water requirements depend.
After initially investing a lot of funds to desilt these rivers, Sawant said that the government has initiated steps to auction the river pebbles, etc.
Due to the peculiar geomorphology of the river stretches and the fine and coarse sand deposits found in the tidal-affected stretches of the river, sand extraction is a challenge, Sawant said.
“The study report on the Mandovi River has elaborated the issue and brought out the difficulties in implementing the Sustainable Guidelines for Sand Mining 2020 issued by the Ministry of Environment in the State,” he said while demanding that the same be amended for Goa.
The State is seeking relaxation in line with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where sand mining is permitted on a case-by-case basis for construction purposes. The Union Territory had constituted a committee to consider the applications, following directions from the Centre.
In January, the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) granted prior ECs for sand extraction. The ECs, however, valid for a period of one year, are subject to clearance from GCZMA, which is in no position to grant NOC due to the CRZ rules.
DMG has received almost 185 applications for sand mining in 12 zones across the Mandovi and Zuari rivers.
