As the state inches closer to the date of the public hearing for the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), scheduled on July 8, the state environment department has clarified that many crucial parts of the plan have been drafted by the state committees and not the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai. “The CZMP for the state of Goa has been prepared by the NCSCM, Chennai. The management plans for khazans, mangroves, turtle nesting, beaches and fisheries have been prepared by the committees constituted by the state government,” the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) said on Tuesday. Many opponents of the draft CZMP for Goa had expressed fear that the NCSCM may not be familiar with the peculiarities of the Goan coastal systems and that not sufficient ground studies were carried out to understand it when preparing the plan. It was feared that this may adversely affect the coastal communities and the ecology once the CZMP is finalised. However, the state environment department has now said that several crucial parts of the plans have been studied and drafted by experts from the state itself. The Goa Foundation, which approached the National Green Tribunal over the Goa CZMP, has held that the reports on fishing zones, khazans etc prepared by the state formed panels have not been incorporated in the coastal plan. It said that the plans prepared by the panels have simply been attached to the CZMP draft. The environment department also stated on Tuesday that the ‘Hazard line’ will only be used as a tool for disaster management and will not be a regulatory line. It was feared by coastal communities that any activities within the hazard line will be prohibited, affecting livelihood of fishermen, as also existing structures. The GCZMA though has said now that the hazard line is meant only for planning for any natural disasters.
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