MARGAO
Chairperson of the Goa State Bio-diversity Board, Environment Minister Alexio Sequeira on Wednesday has called for a meeting of the stakeholders on January 16 at the Curtorim panchayat hall to discuss the issue of draft notification to notify the Curtorim lakes as bio-diversity heritage sites.
The decision was taken after the Minster had a meeting with the Chairperson of the Curtorim Bio-Diversity Management Committee J Santan Rodrigues at the Ministerial block, Mantralaya on Wednesday. The meeting was also attended by Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco and Member Secretary GSBB Pradip Sarmokadam.
The decision by the Environment Minister to call for a meeting of the stakeholders assumes significance in view of the strong reservations and objections lodged by a number of Tenants Associations of Curtorim to the draft notification to declare the village lakes as bio-diversity heritage sites.
In fact, as reported earlier, the office of the Goa State Bio-Diversity Board has been flooded with objections to the draft notification to declare the village lakes as bio-diversity heritage sites.
During discussions with the Minister, the Curtorim Bio-Diversity Management Committee Chairperson J Santan Rodrigues explained that the bio-diversity management committee had set in motion the due process way back in 2015 to declare the lakes as the bio-diversity heritage sites.
In fact, Santan is believed to have pointed out that confusion has been created in the minds of the people that there would be a buffer zone in case of the lakes are notified as bio-diversity heritage sites.
“The buffer zone is not at all applicable for the heritage sites, but only for the wetlands. I have explained my position to the Minister, who informed that the Chairperson of the Goa State Bio-diversity Board will be deputed for the meeting at Curtorim on January 16 at 3 pm to hear the stakeholders and explain the proposal of bio-diversity heritage sites”, Santan said.
Meanwhile, some of the stakeholders have questioned why they were not called for the meeting with the Environment Minister on Wednesday when they have lodged their objections to the draft notification.
Officials of the GSBB have clarified that the meeting called by the Minister on Wednesday was to be attended only by the Chairperson, Curtorim BMC only.
