NT Reporter
Panaji
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said that port limits will be removed before the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 is put up for public consultation.
“We have not yet put up draft CZMP 2019 for public consultation. At present the draft plan is put up for inter-departmental consultation. When the CoP gives its suggestions, we will remove the port limits from it after which it will be put up for public consultation. If we denotify it directly without CoP consultation, then it will create problems for jetties in inland waterways,” Sawant said.
He was speaking during the calling attention motion by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira and Velim MLA Cruz Silva over the depiction of extensive port limits within village areas in
draft CZMP 2019.
Sardesai said, “Large stretches of rivers and riverbanks traditionally used by local communities, fishermen and
riparian villages now appear to fall within port jurisdiction, creating widespread apprehension that such demarcations could gradually erode the customary rights of Goans over their rivers, restrict traditional access and livelihoods, and open the door for external authorities or commercial interests to exercise greater control over
our waterways.”
He sought to know the basis on which these port limits have been shown and the safeguards in place to protect the rights of local communities.
Sawant said that the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), while preparing CZMP 2011, sought details of the port limits to be depicted in the plan.
“The Department of Environment and Climate Change sought the details of the notified minor port limits from the Captain of Ports and major port limits from the Mormugao Port Authority, and the same were depicted on the draft CZMP 2011,” he said.
Sawant said that during the public consultation on draft CZMP 2011 there was a demand from the public to remove the port limits from the maps, and the state government agreed.
