CM: Port limits in villages to go from draft coastal plan

Porvorim: CM Pramod Sawant on Tuesday assured the House that the draft Goa coastal zone management plan (CZMP) 2019 will only be put up for public consultation after all port limits applied to villages in a seeming expansion of the limits are removed from the plan.

Sawant also promised that coal handling in Goa will not be increased. He said that rivers in the state would not be nationalised, and that the rights over Goa's rivers will remain with Goa.Sawant said that no coal handling would be permitted on inland waterways apart from a couple of locations where it is currently on.The CM was speaking during a calling attention motion where opposition MLAs Venzy Veigas, Cruz Silva, Altone D’Costa, Viresh Borkar, and others said that there is a depiction of extensive port limits within village areas in the CZMP.

Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai said that large stretches of rivers and riverbanks traditionally used by local communitie and fishermen, and riparian villages, now appear to fall within port jurisdiction.He said this has created widespread apprehension that such demarcations could gradually erode the customary rights of Goans over their rivers, restrict traditional access and livelihoods, and open the door for external authorities or commercial interests to exercise greater control over the waterways.

“Inland waterways will not be used for coal transportation other than only in one or two places where it exists at present. I want to bring to your notice that the draft CZMP 2019 has not been put up for consultation. The draft being circulated by some members was the one for interdepartmental consultation, the members ran with it and it is creating chaos among people,” said Sawant.“We have not surrendered any rivers, they will remain here for the Goans.

I assure Goans that we will not increase coal handling, and all river rights will remain with Goans,” the CM said.Sardesai said that the resurrection of the Betul port project, which had been scrapped by the Centre earlier, is alarming. “Now, road and rail connectivity is being proposed to the port. It is for bauxite and coal, fish does not require a train for transportation. The project poses an existential threat to River Sal,” said Sardesai.He said the Sagarmala project does not include a single project which will benefit local fishermen.Sawant said that govt would use the 2011 CZMP, which did not show port limits, as reference and base the 2019 plan on it.