NGT defers coastal plan deadline to August 31

PANAJI: National Green Tribunal (NGT) has extended the deadline for all coastal states to submit their respective Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMP) to the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) till August 31.
However, the bench has directed, in an order passed recently, that any further progress in the matter may be brought on record before the tribunal by April 30.
The issue of finalising the CZMP for the state has been delayed for a few years due to various reasons. The deadline has been extended frequently, while the last one was on January 31.
Chennai-based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) had submitted the draft CZMP to the Goa government on May 9, 2017. Last year, NCSCM representatives made constituency-wise presentations of the draft CZMP to MLAs and ministers and they had strongly raised objections to the draft plan.
In November last year, a two-member scientist team from NCSCM had carried out a ground truthing process as part of preparation of the coastal management plan.
NGT had set, in November 2017, a deadline of April 2018 for all coastal states and Union territories to submit CZMPs. Goa had sought an extension till October 30 to finalise the plan, which has also passed.
But the tribunal has not lifted the stay it granted through an order dated November 22, 2017, wherein no environment clearance can be granted till finalisation of CZMP. This order was passed on suggestion of the MoEFCC.