For those tracking Goa’s news, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has earned notoriety. A quick search reveals how often activists and even courts have exposed its role”direct or indirect”in enabling the destruction of Goa’s beaches and coastline.
In 2023, the Minister of State for Environment, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, told the Rajya Sabha that Goa alone accounted for 974 cases of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations in the past five years. Out of 1,878 violations reported nationwide, more than half came from Goa, placing the state at the top of this disturbing list.
Despite this, the officials responsible have largely escaped accountability, with some still in office. What is troubling is that their opinions are still treated with weight by certain sections of the justice system, even in cases where environmental concerns are genuine. This is despite the GCZMA’s tainted record.
Instead of being shielded, officials proven complicit in environmental damage should face prosecution, not be given credibility in environmental matters.
