AAP MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas Initiates Dialogue with Panchayats on CZMP 2019 Draft

Goa Khabar:AAP MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas initiated a detailed dialogue with representatives of the Carmona and Cavelossim Panchayats, including Gram Panchayat members, Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) members, village development committees and local residents, to discuss serious concerns regarding the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019 draft sent by the Director of Panchayats.

The meeting saw active participation from Sarpanch Mrs. Sandra (Carmona) and Mr. Dixon (Cavelossim), along with VDC and BMC members. A comprehensive discussion was held on how both panchayats should send their suggestions and objections to the authorities.

It was strongly noted that both panchayats had earlier submitted detailed objections and suggestions to the 2011 CZMP draft. However, the Goa government failed to incorporate these submissions in the final 2011 notified plan. Panchayat representatives expressed strong objection to the repeated neglect of local concerns and questioned the government’s intent in ignoring community inputs.

The 2019 CZMP draft has raised fresh and serious concerns. In Carmona alone, nearly major part of the village wards have been marked under “port limits”, a move that local representatives termed unacceptable and ecologically dangerous. Both Carmona and Cavelossim Panchayats have firmly objected to the port limit demarcation, stating that it would severely impact the ecosystem, livelihoods, fishing activities and the traditional lifestyle of villagers.

Several other discrepancies were highlighted during the meeting, including:

* Removal of buffer zones

* Shifting of High Tide Line (HTL) markings

* Wrong identification of CRZ areas in multiple locations

* Lack of clarity for fishermen and traditional structures existing between 1972 and 1991

It was emphasised that fishermen and local families who have been residing and operating legally on their land for decades must be granted relief and legal clarity under the CZMP framework.

As a way forward, it was decided that the Panchayats will call for a Special Gram Sabha and display four different plans for public comparison:

1. 2011 CZMP Draft Plan

2. 2011 CZMP Notified Plan

3. Amendments and objections plan submitted by Panchayats to the 2011 draft

4. The current 2019 CZMP Draft

This will allow villagers to transparently compare survey numbers, zoning changes and misplacements, and collectively submit informed objections.

AAP MLA Capt. Venzy Viegas reaffirmed that coastal planning cannot be imposed without consulting local communities. He stressed that development cannot come at the cost of ecology, fishermen livelihoods and village rights. The meeting concluded with a unified resolve by both Panchayats and local representatives to protect their land, ecology and traditional way of life through collective and lawful resistance.