PANAJI
Goa State Wetland Authority (GSWA) has directed the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) to submit the details with regards to 550 water bodies as the lakes that could be potentially identified as wetlands under the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rule 2017.
Since 2019, NIO has been assigned a project to identify the wetlands of Goa following directions from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Sources informed that of the total 550 water bodies identified by the NIO, the Authority has sought details like the number of water bodies falling within forest area and CRZ areas, how many are mining quarries, temple lakes and others which could be potentially identified as wetlands under the Wetland Conservation Rule.
“The Authority wants to know the exact location of each of these water bodies. There are some in the CRZ areas or in the protected zones. There are some which are beyond the specification of wetland. We need to exclude those,” sources said.
The Authority has decided to write to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and the Forest Department directing them to submit the action plan for conservation and management of the water bodies falling within their jurisdiction.
The Authority has already asked the Revenue Department to depict all the notified wetland areas in the form I and XIV of the land record cum land registrar.
Currently, there are 40-odd notified wetlands in the State.
The Authority has constituted Lake Management Committees to ensure management and conservation of notified wetlands so far. The committee comprises of local community members from the areas where the wetlands are notified.
Wetlands are those lakes which are considered to be critically significant for its ecosystem services and biodiversity values for the local communities and society at large.
