Goa govt to hold public hearings for coastal management plan

The Goa government will hold public hearings across the state to invite suggestions from people for inclusion in the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).

Talking to reporters, state Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral Thursday said the government would hold public hearings in 10 different talukas beginning Friday.

The suggestions given by the people would be included in the presentation that the state government proposes to make before the Union Environment Ministry and the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA).

Chennai-based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) had prepared a draft CZMP for Goa, which was rejected by the state government after protests from activists and MLAs.

They had claimed that the draft was prepared without considering the ground realities of the state.

The dissent was voiced before Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar during his visit to Goa on Sunday, after which he had invited the state government to make its presentation before the NCZMA.

Cabral said the coastal communities had claimed that the CZMP had fundamental flaws.

"For instance, the high tide line shown in the plan was grossly incorrect. There was also a failure to demarcate fishing areas, fish breeding and fishing villages under the guidance of officials of the fisheries department and representatives of fishermen societies," he said.

The minister said that NCSCM failed to understand and map the critical features of unique coastal regulation zone areas along Goa's rivers and seas.