Prune mangroves with care, coastal body tells CoP

Panaji: The Captain of Ports (CoP) has proposed the pruning of mangroves that hinder navigation in the Cumbharjua canal, which the CoP said is a national waterway.The department, which is seeking permission for the pruning from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), said the present route of navigation in the Aguada channel will be shut down soon.“Hence, as an alternative, the Cumbharjua waterway channel is to be used for navigational purposes for inland vessels for trade,” the CoP said.Based on the CoP’s proposal, the GCZMA recently carried out a site inspection with representatives of the forest department, the public works department, the CoP department, the Goa Barge Owners Association, and the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters’ Association.The CoP stated that the beacons currently installed at key locations along the Cumbharjua waterway, which are critical for navigation, have been covered by mangroves.“Due to the growth of mangroves, the line-of-sight visibility and manoeuvrability are severely hampered, both of which are critical for the navigation of inland vessels,” the CoP said.The GCZMA has approved the pruning of the mangroves “subject to the condition that it should be carried out without disturbing geo-morphological structures and mangrove vegetation”.