Curation Team
PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant said in the House on Friday that the zonal master plan for eco-sensitive zones is ready.
He said govt has received permission for drafting the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2019. Once finalised, structures within 50 metres of the high tide line in urban areas will benefit, he said.
MLAs sought the finalisation of the CZMP 2019 for the benefit of traditional coastal inhabitants. Calangute MLA Michael Lobo requested periodic checks by the tourism department on licences and insurance papers of water sports operators, as a means to avert accidents.
The tourism department provides licences and renews them but doesn’t check whether the boats are licensed and insured, Lobo said.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said the state’s coastal and biodiversity bodies don’t have a full-fledged plan to restore sand dunes. He called for a policy to protect khazan lands and ways to deal with mangroves encroaching on fields.
