Goa is racing against time to meet the deadline of December 31, 2021, set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), to finalise the state’s Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP). While the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) had tasked different departments with specific work to be able to finalise the coastal plan, the fisheries department has told the authority that it is unable to demarcate fishing zones and fish breeding zones. The department has told GCZMA that it has no scientific data available to mark such zones. “Fishing zone cannot be marked since fish are migratory and venture in and out of the area in search of food, for breeding and shelter. Fish breeding area cannot be demarcated as there is no scientific study carried out by the department. The fish breeding areas and fish can breed anywhere in the water depending on environmental factors, physio-chemical parameters of the water, season and maturity conditions of the fish,” the department has told GCZMA. After deliberating on the department’s response, GCZMA has decided to convey this input to the National Cente for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, which is working to incorporate any changes in Goa’s coastal plan.
Following the public hearing held in July, GCZMA had allotted tasks to different departments to carry out ground truthing based on the objections and suggestions received from the public. “After considering the replies from the department, the authority decided to submit the same to NCSCM,” GCZMA has decided at its meeting held earlier this month. Meanwhile, based on the list of heritage monuments submitted by the department of archives and archeology, GCZMA has decided to ask NCSCM to demarcate such structures of historical importance located in CRZ areas on Goa’s coastal management plan. “The authority has taken on record the replies sent by department of archives and archaeology and those sites within jurisdiction of CRZ as per CZMP to be marked on the CZMP maps. The authority recommends that NCSCM may examine the comparison and those differences which are required to be incorporated may be incorporated in the CZMP maps,” GCZMA said. GCZMA has said that ground truthing could not be carried out based on many objections and suggestions received from the public seeking demarcation of high tide line, mangroves, khazans, bunds, sluice gates, etc. This was because the exact survey numbers were not specified in the objections and suggestions. “The local bodies, i.e. panchayats and municipal councils were requested to submit their draft CZMP maps. In response, 118 panchayats and eight municipalities have submitted their draft CZMP maps. The draft CZMP maps submitted by the local bodies have been compared with the draft CZMP maps of NCSCM and the differences have been tabulated,” GCZMA has stated.
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