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Goa’s coastline under tourism assault

The famed 105-km long coastline has resulted in more than 300 blatant violations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules in the state.

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PANAJI: Goa’s famed 105-km long coastline, which brings in lakhs of tourists to its beaches year after year, has resulted in more than 300 blatant violations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules in the state, according to tourism minister Dr Wilfred De Souza.

The CRZ extends to 500 metres from the high-tide line and no construction is allowed inside this zone. Patronage from local politicians — who themselves often own hotels — has led to only 25 to 30 illegal structures being demolished since the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) was set up in 1999 by the union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Authority member Claude Alvares told DNA, “There were two or three cases when a demolition team was recalled after a minister intervened.”

De Souza told the Goa Legislative Assembly this week that 314 CRZ violations had been ‘noted’ for ‘appropriate action’.

While environmentalists blame the government for looking the other way as Goa’s coastline is systematically destroyed, the environment ministry too should share the blame. “After the authority’s term expired last February, the government has been giving two month extensions,” Alvares says. “This hampers its functioning. It seems the authority is low priority for them,” he added.

But there is an upside. “Earlier hotel owners would challenge - ‘Go ahead and give me a show cause notice. You cannot do anything else.’ But with the authority demolishing structures that flout the CRZ, the message has gone out loud and clear. At least in areas where demolitions have taken place, you won’t see violations,” says the legal adviser of the committee. There have been cases where the power and water has been shut off making these hotels/guest houses non-functional.

A reflection of how serious the government is can be seen from the fact that cases of violation are referred to the respective panchayats for ‘necessary action’. “Panchayats drag their feet and cases go on for years,” says the legal adviser. Besides, the authority is dependent on government machinery for demolishing illegal structures which is not always available. As a result, a large number of files are gathering dust in the office of Dr N P S Varde, Director, Environment department.

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