This story is from July 6, 2020

Coastal zone plan: Mapping of all bunds, sluice gates almost done

Coastal zone plan: Mapping of all bunds, sluice gates almost done
Panaji: The state government has nearly completed the exercise of mapping bunds and sluice gates across the state. The details will be submitted to the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), which is preparing the state’s draft coastal zone management plan (CZMP).
In some areas, like in Karapur, Harvalem and Surla, the survey was postponed following rising Covid cases there and a source said that the same will be taken up as soon as possible.

Areas where the survey has been completed include the villages of Rachol, Candola, Tivre Orgao, Cundaim, Marcaim, Betqui, Agonda, Loliem, Polem, Salvador De Mundo, Volvoi, Savoi Verem, Vaghureme, Moira, Durbhat Amona, Mayem, Virdi, Navelim, Velim, Quelossim, Cortalim, Sancoale, Chicalim, Curtorim, Arpora, Calangute, Candolim, Aldona, Corjuem and Calvi, among others.
The environment department issued direction to the department of settlement and land records (DSLR) to map all bunds and sluice gates across the state, after the National Coastal Zone Management Authority (NCZMA) recently accepted the state government’s request to demarcate the high-tide line (HTL) along bunds and not around mangroves in khazan lands for the purpose of drawing up the CZMP.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed NCSCM, the Chennai-based agency entrusted with drawing up the plan, to submit the final draft to the Union environment ministry by March 31 after a public hearing. It had also said that the final notification had to be issued before April 30.
However, all deadlines were missed due to the pandemic.
A number of village panchayats and municipalities had earlier demanded that the HTL be demarcated along bunds and not around mangroves. They had even submitted their respective CZMPs to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).

A senior officer said that suggestions of village panchayats and municipalities have been forwarded to NCSCM, but as the government is able to convince NCZMA to demarcate the HTL along bunds, these suggestions automatically become null and void.
During a presentation to the national authority, the GCZMA had highlighted the impact breached bunds have had on CRZ boundaries in khazan lands that are eco-sensitive, low-lying areas, traditionally not influenced by tidal action. It had consequently demanded that the demarcation of HTL in khazan lands that have been inundated due to breach of bunds be dropped, and that the HTL be restricted up to the bunds and be mapped as such.
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