Goa govt seeks fresh coastal zone management plan from NCSCM

The Goa government Friday decided to ask Chennai-based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) to rework its draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) as it has several "loopholes".

The decision was taken during a meeting of all the legislators convened by state Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the plan needs to take into consideration all the issues raised by the MLAs before it is finalised.

He announced that a public hearing on the plan, which was earlier scheduled to be held on July 7, has been postponed till the NCSCM prepares a fresh plan.

He appealed to all the panchayat bodies in the coastal belt to give their suggestions for the plan, which would be submitted by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority to the NCSCM.

Talking to reporters, Cabral said the plan, in its existing form, has been rejected "in the interest of the people of the state".

He said the previous governments had failed to address the issues of the people during the drafting of plans in 1996 and 2011, due to which people living along the coast had to suffer.

"But we will make sure that the plan will be foolproof, although there might be a delay," he said.

State Revenue Minister Rohan Khaunte said the NCSCM did not consider the revenue records of the state and land utilisation plan before drafting the CZMP.

He said improper marking of high tide line, which is considered as the base for Coastal Regulation Zone (CR), will lead to troubles for thousands of inhabitants who are living in the state since long.

Khaunte said the plan was prepared without really understanding what Goa is.