Panaji: Goa government has given go ahead for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification 2018 although civil society groups had expressed their reservation over it.
Goa’s Environment Director Ravi Jha on June 29 has communicated to the MOEF Director Arvind Nautiyal that State government after consulting the stakeholders has suggested that the traditional activities of primary economic importance, supporting livelihood and existing since generations in the notified CRZ areas be allowed to continue.
The State has also urged to permit erection of temporary seasonal structures like beach shacks and huts and other promotional activities like beach wedding and music festival, in the inter-tidal zone, which are prohibited.
Several groups including National Fisherworkers’ Forum had opposed the draft notification claiming that it would not uphold rights of the traditional fishermen.
The draft CRZ notification has proposed to reduce the CRZ area upto 50 meters from High Tide Line (HTL) from the current 200 meters, which is been strongly objected by the NGOs.
Jha in his communication has said that “the draft notification is in supersession of the earlier notification of 2011, which gave special consideration for the State of Goa by relaxing certain norms for regulation of permissible activities in the CRZ areas irrespective whether the area falls in CRZ I, CRZ II, CRZ III or CRZ IV.”
“It is therefore necessary to include temporary season structures erected in the months from September to May as permissible activity in CRZ IB, CRZ IIA and B and CRZ III A and B as per the new draft notification,” he said.
Goa government has said that “the list of permissible activities in CRZ should provide for water sports facilities, beach wedding, musical festivals etc.”
Jha has sought relaxation for setting up facilities like lifeguard towers, police booths, public amenities, treatment of waste, in those areas.
The state has also proposed that construction and reconstruction of dwelling units of the local resident cum legal citizen may be permitted in the CRZ areas as per local town and country planning rules.
