PANAJI
The Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has directed Goa government to use the updated Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2011 as a baseline to draft the CZMP, under CRZ notification 2019.
In a communication to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), on August 7, the Ministry said that instead of seeking approval for the revised CZMP 2011, the same be used as baseline for drafting CZMP 2019.
The Technical Scrutiny Committee of the Ministry during its meeting in February had recommended the revision of the Goa CZMP 2011 based on the revised bund data provided by GCZMA, and directed the GCZMA to submit the revised maps to the MoEF&CC for final approval by the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA).
"The matter has been examined in this Ministry and it is felt that since the Government of Goa is currently in the process of updating the CZMP in accordance with the CRZ Notification, 2019, it may be appropriate that the revised CZMP 2011, as recommended by the TSC, be used as the baseline for preparing the updated CZMP under the CRZ Notification, 2019," scientist Dr H Kharkwal said in the letter.
"...instead of seeking approval for the revised CZMP under the 2011 Notification. You are therefore, requested to take appropriate action accordingly," he said further.
The technical committee has approved the revised CZMP 2011 maps on 1:25,000 scale.
The Ministry had approved CZMP 2011 in September 2022. However, the GCZMA later raised issues pertaining to the plan and decided to update it.