The new Coastal Zone Management Plan is yet another conspiracy to hand over the beaches of Goa to residents of Delhi. The new plan is full of errors and poses a threat to the fishing villages of Goa. The MPT has also been authorised to reclaim 34,85,723 sq mtr for the new Adani terminal. Between Sagarmala, manipulation of CZMP, double tracking and the 420 megawatt transmission station in Mollem, green Goa will definitely become brown or grey!

By Rajan Narayan

ON Sunday the Coastal Zone Management Plan, was supposed to be presented to the people of Goa to invite their suggestions and objections. In fact, in the case of Goa, there are far more objections than suggestions with respect to the CZMP. There are many houses and other existing structure which have not been included or shown in the draft plan presented by the government.
For instance the Jacinto island close to Vasco in Goa, is shown without the houses and even the church which has been in the island for centuries. Indeed, the Jacinto island has always been a favourite for those who collect clams and oysters especially for the oyster shells used traditionally to do the windows of homes to let gentle light come in as well as offer protection from harsh sunlight. Oyster shells are the traditional window panes of Goan homes.
Many Oppositions MLAs have strongly objected to the draft plan proposed by the state government. The Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte has pointed out that there are many discrepancies in the draft CZMP as compare to that of the 2019 plan, “for instance several salt pans have been marked as Coastal Regulation Zone.” Rohan also pointed out that many fishing communities particularly among the Marmugoa Port Trust and other parts of Goa have disappeared from the 2019 plan.
The intention of the government seems to be destroy and demolish the fishing villages for the benefit of builders to accommodate the increasing number of Delhi businessmen who are relocating in Goa. The Goa Forward President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardessai is vehement that the latest CZMP is a case of match fixing.

PUBLIC HEARING

THE public hearing at a Kala Academy in Panaji and Ravindra Bhavan in Margao on March 7, 2021, ironically, took place without the public being allowed in! Only a few select speakers and BJP supporters who would endorse the government conspiracy to destroy Goa, were permitted inside the auditorium. In Panaji concerned villagers from the coastal villages who had come from long distances were kept out of the Kala Academy.
Our special correspondent was a personal witness to the chaos and confusion which took place at the Kala Academy. The most absurd part of the hearing was that it was conducted by the Collector of North Goa, Ajit Roy, of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), who knows no Konkani but was presiding over the public hearing. Obviously fresh from a public school few could even understand his English.
The complaint is that the Collector Ajit Roy acted like a proper elite “Britisher” and this raised lots of humorous and rude comments with some in the audience loud demands that “Simon go back to England!” Surely the Pramod Sawant-led BJP government is aware that the worst affected by the CZMP are the Konkani-speaking fisher folk families speak very little refined English. At the counterpart CZMP south Goa meeting the same in the evening, none other than former chief minister of Goa and Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat had attended and he observed, “Let the public in, without them this is a private hearing.”
The vast majority of the MLAs and the activists opposing the thoughtless and haphazard new coastal development plan of the government should be scrapped. It was not people-friendly at all from the viewpoint of Goa and Goans. They are demanding that the plan should be scrapped or scrupulously reviewed in consultation with the panchayat and local people. Any refreshment plan should be constituted in consultation with the affected villagers.
The coastal CZMP has traditionally depicted the high and low tide lines, the no development zone along the coast, CRZ 1 areas (ecologically sensitive areas) such as mangroves, khazan lands multiple use areas which are used both for fishing and rice cultivation. The plan also ought to include sand dunes and turtle nesting areas.
CRZ II includes developed areas such as Panaji and port city Vasco da Gama while CRZ III includes undeveloped rural area. CRZ IV is most significant as it shows water bodies and tidal lines. The previous CZMP expired in 2011. A draft plan was prepared two years ago but was abandoned because there were too many errors. The revised plan ironically contains even more errors!
The harsh ground reality is that all the coastal states including Goa have been deliberately delaying the formulation of new CZMPs. This is because it would prevent them from giving permissions illegally. Many of the five-star hotel properties along Goa’s coastal belt such as the Bambolim Grand Hyatt have come up in the critical non-development zone of the CRZ. A five-star hotel in Panaji had to shift its swimming pool which was almost on the beach because it violated CRZ guidelines. The vast majority of the beach resorts in Morjim, the constituency of the former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, are illegal and he has admitted this himself. Parsekar claims that he did not take action against these resorts because they provided employment to locals.

But recently a five-star hotel which has come up in Morjim was ordered to be demolished because it violated the CRZ rules. Interestingly, the shacks which are an integral part of beach tourism rest and recreation in Goa are not depicted in the new CRZ plan. It is the combination of the Major Port Authorities Bill Trust Act with the new CZMP which is causing the greatest agitation. Under this bill which was recently passed by Parliament port trusts have been converted into port authorities.
In the case of Goa, Mormugoa Port Trust is staking a claim to all the coastal areas not only in Vasco, but other parts of the state. The MPT is reclaiming 65,000 sq mts of land for the fishing and passenger jetties and 34,85,723 sq mts for the Adani Port Terminal Pvt Ltd. It would appear that all of the water and coastal lands in Goa belongs to the MPT now!
With the export of ore still suspended the MPT is desperate for revenue. Which is why it is increasing the coal handling capacity for the benefit of the Adanis and Jindals. There is a need for a special cruise ship handling capacity for the present one is located right next to the coal handling facility. We imagine cruise line ship tourists will get a black welcome anointed with coal dust!
All this development is part of plans of Minister for Transport Nitin Gadkari who is a very senior and influential member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet at the Centre. It is Nitin Gadkari who has come up with the larger Sagarmala project. The Sagarmala project seeks the nationalization of all rivers in the country amongst other things. So that they can be used to transport heavy goods in lieu of the roads being used currently.

BHATKAR STATE?

THE conversion of the MPT into a bhatkar, the removal of fishing villages from the coastal management plan and the nationalisation of the rivers for setting up more jetties for the transport of coal are all parts of what would seem to be a larger conspiracy to destroy Goa’s green and sustainable environment which is already threatened by the three eco-destructive projects which include the double tracking of the South Western Railway, the 420 watts transmission station in the middle of a Mollem forest and the broadening of the highways.
Between them Goa’s aware and keen environmental groups fear that green Goa will soon turn into a dusty, dirty brown and black Goa which won’t let agriculture flourish. The Goa which the `Times of India’ refers to as having the best quality of life, will become worse if not on par with the worst bad lands of parts of Bihar. Goa will become a bimaru state in time to come.
As it is, with CM Pramod Sawant’s bindaas attitude towards permitting tourists and visitors from Mumbai without any covid-19 certificates, Goa is becoming the most irresponsible state in the country. No wonder we are seeing the number of covid-19 cases climbing steadily anew.