GCZMA, CoP get 2 weeks to complete illegal jetties survey

Times News Network

Panaji: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to submit within two weeks data on jetties operating illegally along Goa’s coast. It has also asked the Captain of Ports (CoP) department to complete its inspection on the legal status of all jetties operating in Goa and submit the data within two weeks. CoP has told the NGT that 80% of the inspection has been completed.

An applicant had approached the tribunal over nine jetties carrying out commercial activities. The appellant said that such commercial activities are impermissible under CRZ norms, and argued that some jetties are in proximity to the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, which is a notified eco-sensitive zone. Therefore, these kinds of commercial activities cannot be permitted, said the tribunal.

In Jan this year, the NGT had directed the GCZMA to ensure that all nine jetties would no longer be allowed to operate until they obtained valid permissions. In response to this direction, an affidavit was required to be filed by the GCZMA indicating the jetties that have been sealed and those that have valid permissions to operate.

While the GCZMA said that it could not file the affidavit due to some technical error on the portal, it submitted orally before the NGT that six of the jetties lack the necessary permissions.

The NGT had also directed the CoP department to submit reports on whether any other jetties are in operation along the entire coastline, to which the latter had orally submitted that sites were visited and the process is ongoing. It said that approximately 80% of inspections were done.

“We direct that a full-fledged reply affidavit be filed in this regard within two weeks,” the NGT said.

The appellant had prayed before the tribunal to declare that setting up of jetties for private/commercial/public temporary or permanent use is not permissible in areas of tidal-influenced water bodies as per Para 1(ii) of the CRZ Notification, 2011.

The NGT was told that these areas are designated as fish-breeding or ecologically sensitive areas. The applicant prayed that the authorities be directed to prepare a Zonal Master Plan for the eco-sensitive zone of the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.