Draft comprehensive plan to allow dwelling units for fisherfolk within 100-200m of HTL

Panaji: The draft comprehensive plan for fishermen and other local communities has a provision to permit construction and reconstruction of dwelling units of traditional coastal communities, especially fisherfolk, between 100m and 200m from the high tide line (HTL) along the seafront.As per the National Green Tribunal directions to govt, the shore line change management plan has to be mandatorily put up for public consultation, and the work for the same has been awarded to the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, a govt officer said.The NCSCM submitted the draft shore line change management plan after due consultation with other national institutes dealing with the subject.The draft shoreline change management plan has to be placed in public consultation along with the draft coastal zone management plan (CZMP) 2019. The draft compressive plan, along with CZMP, 2011, maps depicting the fisherman houses and other infrastructure facilitating the fishing activity, is ready.An officer said that a comprehensive plan prepared by state govt in consultation with the traditional coastal communities, especially fisherfolk, incorporating the necessary disaster management provisions to permit construction and reconstruction of dwelling units of the traditional coastal communities especially fisherfolk between 100m and 200m from the HTL along the seafront.During the preparation of CZMP 2011, management plans for turtle nesting, mangrove and khazan have been prepared and approved by the Goa Coastal Zone Mmanagement Authority (GCZMA). A govt officer said the plan will be forwarded to the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) for inclusion in the eco-sensitive areas (ESA) management plan.Finalisation of the CZMP 2019, has been delayed due to the non-submission of environment management plan for ecological sensitive areas and integrated island management plan by the NIO and the eco tourism plan by tourism and forest departments.Once these are finalised, the state will hold public consultation to finalise the plans and CZMP.The task for the preparation of CZMP 2019 has been awarded to the National Centre for Earth Sciences (NCESS), Thiruananthapuram, and the institute has forwarded the draft to govt.The department of environment and climate change forwarded the draft CZMP 2019 to various govt departments, corporations, autonomous bodies and sought their comments and suggestions, and they were supposed to submit it to the environment department by March. A senior officer said that only three departments submitted their objections and suggestions.