The Goan Goa Campaign Stephen Dias/IATG 005 ,Caranzalem29 March 2014
There exists a "gross violation" on the waterfront near Aivao Village- Caranzalem (Dona Paula), where a project is coming up and is approved by the Government of Goa. Watersports, which comes under Central Government National Institute of Water Sports Authority, is a project already been signed with the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation on January 26, 2014. Engineers from National Institute of Water Sports Authority state that there will be a swimming pool and a huge building for the water sports complex which is likely to be completed within two years. Huge excavation of sand with a quantity of more than 1,000 trucks is seen at the venue. The work is going on in full swing and comes under Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ). The Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) should take immediate action by deputing their team for inspection. A necessary complaint has already been lodged by Dr Joe D'Sousa, a member from Goa State Diversity Board, on March 18, 2014. Report from "The Goan" Reporter Kimberly Colaco entitled " THIS USED TO BE THEIR PLAYGROUND" ON 29TH MARCH 2014. ( a PHOTO INSERTED) It wasn't a pleasing sight when a group of boys dressed in their football jerseys walked through the uneven, bumpy roads in Aivao. It is a small village which is situated in Caranzalem. They feel their rights to play in the open are shattered. "We used to play on the grounds, where there is a water sport institute coming up. We also have our goalpost still there. Now we play on the beach," informed a young boy who seemed to have finished his match and was returning home. The land is acquired to build the National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) and some of the locals are surely having issues with it. But there are few who have absolutely no clue as to what is coming up there. "I don't know what is coming up here. What can we do? Please ask people who would know I don't know anything" said a villager. A government official who lives in the village said, "Over a few years Goa will not remain open and free like it used to be. When we have our houses around the CRZ zone they want to come and destroy them but the government officials can build their institutes? The law should be same for all," he added. The locals feel that the land acquired by the government to build the water sports institute will affect them in the long run, especially when their wells get dried. The project has a series of plans lined up for the locals and ones who might be interested in learning the techniques of water activity. It plans to have teaching activities like pool management, cannoning, managing tourism bustle, boat supervising/ repairs, rafting, life guards, rescue training/operations, etc. It claims that all the courses will be certified by the authority. The project was started on the February 1, 2014 and is assumed to be completed by January 31, 2016. Tendered by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) and recognised by the Union Ministry of tourism, the approximate cost of the building would be Rs 28 crore and the area of construction is 65,509 sq meters. According to information from the authorities, the building will be built in such a way where there will be no destruction of any kind of flora and fauna. There will be less damage to the place as the material used will be eco-friendly. But, for those boys who used to run around with a ball in the area where the building is now coming up, their little playground is long gone. Coasting through regulations 1. Clearance shall be given for any activity within the Coastal Regulation Zone only if it requires water front and foreshore facilities. 2. The following activities will require environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, namely: (i)Construction activities related to projects of Department of Atomic Energy or Defence requirements for which foreshore facilities are essential such as- slipways, jetties, wharves, quays; except for classified operational component of defence projects for which a separate procedure shall be followed.(Residential buildings, office buildings, hospital complexes, workshops shall not come within the definition of operational requirements except in very special cases and hence shall not normally be permitted in the CRZ) (ii)Operational constructions for ports and harbours and light houses and constructions for activities such as jetties, wharves, quays and slipways, pipelines, conveying systems including transmission lines; (ii a) Exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas and all associated activities and facilities thereto; (iii) Thermal Power Plants (only foreshore facilities for transport of raw materials facilities for intake of cooling water and outfall for discharge of treated waste water/cooling water); (iv) All other activities with investment exceeding rupees five crores except those activities which are to be regulated by the concerned authorities at the State/Union Territory level in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 6, sub-paragraph (2) of Annexure 1 of the notification. 3. (i) The Coastal States and Union Territory Administrations shall prepare, within a period of one year from the date of this Notification, Coastal Zone Management Plans identifying and classifying the CRZ areas within their respective territories in accordance with the guidelines given in Annexures I and II of the Notification and obtain approval (with or without modifications) of the Central Government in the Ministry of Environment & Forests; (ii) Within the framework of such approved plans, all development and activities within the CRZ shall be regulated by the State Government, Union Territory Administration or the local authority as the case may be in accordance with the guidelines given in Annexure-I and II of the Notification; (iii) In the interim period till the Coastal Zone Management Plans mentioned are prepared and approved, all developments and activities within the CRZ shall not violate the provisions of this Notification. State Governments and Union Territory Administrations shall ensure adherence to these regulations and violations, if any, shall be subject to the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. ======================================================================
