Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has ordered the Directorate of Fisheries to stop work with immediate effect and also issued show cause notice as to why direction to demolish the structures and to restore the land to its original condition should not be issued.
The Directorate of Fisheries is in the process of building a 483mts. wall known a training wall to open the river mouth and keep it navigational during monsoons and upgrading jetty at Cutbona, Betul and river training at the mouth of the river as a part of the Rs. 100 crores development of jetties here and at Chapora.
Acting on the complaint of the Iris Passanha – president of Cavelossim Villagers Forum where in he stated that illegal mud dumping activities and destruction of sand dunes and illegal construction of road has been undertaken in total violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) in the No Development Zone(NDZ). He also stated that the illegal activities in the No Development Zone of Arabian Sea and River Sal will cause severe degradation to the coastal environment , eco-system and ecology.
Acting on the complaint of Iris, GCZMA pointed out that for any proposal of re-contruction, construction, development, repair between 200 to 500mts of the High Tide Line (HTL) from Sea and 100mts from the rivers prior approval from GCZMA is required since alleged illegal activities are highly detrimental to the coastal eco-system, riverine ecosystem.
In its order GCZMA also pointed out that Directorate of Fisheries has not obtained any prior approval for the purpose of alleged construction as required under CRZ notification 1991/2011. The authority has directed the directorate of fisheries to file their reply along with compliance report and to produce licences or approvals from concerned authority along with approved plans and other document before March 6, 2017.
Iris Passanha said for such a project environment clearance is mandatory. The construction of the road is illegal the fisheries directorate is carrying out this work with EC. “Whether it is government project or private any development within HTL is illegal and in violation of law”. “This is utter destruction of coastal environment , eco-system and ecology and we might have to approach NGT for stop it”.
Minister for Fisheries Avertano Furtado said that it is just a retention wall to stop formation of sand bar at the mouth of the river. “It is long standing demand of the trawler owners as sand bar formed during monsoon hinders their movement to and fro from the sea and jetty as they have to wait to the tide to come in to cross”.
A sand bar is a long raised area of sand below the surface of the water, especially where a river enters the sea, usually formed by moving currents.
Cavelossim sarpanch Viola Costa informed that the panchayat office too has issued a stop work notice. She said the office had issued temporary ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) for road to transport the material for which panchayat office has secured a security deposit of Rs. 50,000. However the contractor did not provide us CRZ permission or approval for the up-gradation of the jetty and training wall project. Sarpanch also informed that based on communication from GCZMA the panchayat office has issued stop work notice.
Dr. Sharmila Monteiro – director of fisheries department said model study has been carried out of this project by IIT Chennai before taking up this project. “There was a demand of the trawlers owners that they lose a lot of time to dock at the jetty due to sand bar and the same while venturing out in the sea they had to wait for high tide, hence government decided to train the river at its mouth and such projects have been carried out in many states like Malpe and Mangalore”. She also stated that they have all the approvals from all the concerned departments and authorities for the more than 400 meters wall near the mouth of the river.
No comments:
Post a Comment