PANAJI
Ahead of the upcoming new tourism season, the Tourism Department has proposed to increase the height of beach shacks from the existing 5.5 meters to a maximum of nine meters. For this, it intends to amend the Beach Shack Policy 2023-26.
The Department has approached the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for its No Objection (NOC) to undertake necessary amendments to the policy in line with Goa Erection of Shacks on Public Beaches (Regulation and Control) Act 2024.
According to the Goa Erection of Shacks on Public Beaches Act, 2024, for temporary and seasonal structures other than the beach shacks permitted by Department, coverage of plot is restricted to 33 per cent of the total plot area. Also, the structure must have access of at least three meters.
The Act specifies that the height of such temporary structures should not exceed nine meters and a minimum setback of one meter is maintained from the boundary of the plot on all sides.
The Department now intends to incorporate all these guidelines pertaining to the temporary structures in the Beach Shack Policy 2023-26.
Currently, as per the policy, the maximum size of the beach shacks has to be maintained at 18m length, eight meters breadth and 5.5m height. No shack is permitted to have a mezzanine floor or an additional floor.
The department wants the GCZMA to examine the matter and provide NOC to the proposed height of the beach shacks that will facilitate the department to amend the shack policy.
The beach shack policy also allows the shacks to maintain a maximum roof extension of one meter from the plinth on lateral sides and two meters in front with no extension from the rear side of the beach shack.
“The Department reserves the right of reducing permissible beach shack size to suitably adapt to the existing site conditions depending on the identified public beach width, public access, site condition/availability of space and other factors,” the Department said.
The Department has informed GCZMA that the beach shacks are erected adhering to the guidelines issued by various authorities like the coastal body, MoEF and pollution control board and using eco-friendly materials like bamboos/wooden poles with thatched palm leaves.
“However, in case of paucity of wood the shacks are erected out of the other modern materials like steel, synthetic, nylon fabric, etc for the purpose of frame work due to unpredictable weather conditions,” the department said adding that the use of concrete material is absolutely banned.
