Work on protection wall along Valsad coast stalled

VAPI: Barely hours after cabinet minister Babu Bokhiria had laid the foundation stone for erection of a protection wall to check erosion by the sea on Thursday at Tithal in Valsad, the work came to a grinding halt.
Officials of the forest department along with a police team rushed to the spot and conveyed that the work cannot be executed on the Tithal stretch unless prior permission is obtained from the Central government under Forest Conservation Act (FCA) as the proposed work falls in the category of coastal forestry alignment.
RM Desai, Range Forest Officer at Valsad said that out of 12 proposed works, four works are on the Tithal stretch and require prior clearance.
He said that a letter in this regard was sent to officials of Damanganga irrigation project who are handling these projects prior to the arrangement made for foundation stone laying ceremony.
R G Dhangar, executive engineer of Damanganga irrigation project at Valsad said, "We have got the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances for all the projects but the proposal for FCA clearance is in the final stage pending with the zonal office of central forest and environment department at Bhopal. There is a provision in the forest laws that allow starting work on projects of public interest with a condition of anticipatory approval."
He said that the authorities have decided to execute the said works while adopting the new big boulder design to protect the coast from the onslaught of high tidal waves. This design was specially developed by Central Water Power Research Station (CWPRS) at Pune.
Sources said that the planning commission of India has sanctioned Rs 67 crore to execute the 12 works spread over 64 km to check soil erosion in Valsad district.