Every Goan has got the Right to attend the Public Hearing regarding the Coastal Zone Management Plans (CZMPs) of Goa because every person shares and depends on these Common Resources. The whole of Goa is ecologically sensitive, especially its vast coastal stretches affecting not just the sea side villages, but also more than a hundred villages along the banks of our major Rivers. Even the CRZ Notification 2011 has special provisions for Goa’s khazans, fisher folk and beaches on account of the peculiar circumstances of the State.
The CZMP maps sent by the Goa Government to the Panchayats are completely against the CRZ Notification for Goa. Goan rivers have the highest biodiversity and are rich in fisheries, shell fish, flora and fauna. The ancient scientific knowledge to bandh the sea and create Rivers and Khazans for the unique and highly productive rice cultivation and pisciculture has sustained all of us. However, the CZMPs do not show many of the fishing rights, breeding areas and also ecologically sensitive areas. Both our beaches and river banks are shown as if all our local communities have vanished! Though the CZMPs are only supposed to map the local communities and environment, Port Limit has been illegally demarcated in our rivers, handing our rivers and entire khazan lands and lands beyond on a platter to the port authorities, for the use of corporations.
The CZMPs are not for the people as the Notification envisaged, but are made illegally for corporations and other short-term profit seekers to take over our rivers and coasts. Therefore, the people of Goa must all come out in numbers and attend the Public Hearing to be held from 10 AM on 7th March 2021 at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao and Kala Academy, Panaji. Every Goan voice must be heard and we must all participate in these Public Hearings, if the balance has to tilt in the favour of Goa and the People.
