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If the number of structures in CRZ-III area (between 200-500 meters from the high tide line) are any index of tourism activity, north Goa takes the cake.

Since February 1991 when the CRZ legislation was first enacted, a total of 2,349 structures have come up in six villages of north GoaCalangute, Candolim, Arambol, Anjuna, Mandrem and Morjim. These account for 51.59% of the 4,553 structures found in the CRZ-III area in Goa’s 35 coastal villages stretching from Keri in Pernem in the north to Loliem in Canacona in the south.

Calangute tops the list with 685 structures in the CRZ-IIIthe highest in the state. The number of structures in CRZ-III in Calangute in 1991 were only 826. When the village was surveyed in 2006, the number shot up to 1511, a rise of 685 new structures. Neighbouring Candolim comes second with 620 new structures. Arambol is next with 330 structures followed by Anjuna with 280 new structures.

While only six villages in north Goa hog 51.59% of the CRZ-III structures, the remaining 29 villages in south Goa have 2,204 structures. But the difference is quite lopsided. The highest number of CRZ-III structures in south Goa, which is 385, is in Nagorcem-Palolem, almost half of Calangute. Varca has 186, Benaulim has 173 and Colva has 168 new CRZ-III structures after 1991.

The above findings are part of a study in the first phase, conducted by Remote Sensing Instruments (RSI), Hyderabad, which was entrusted with the task of surveying Goa’s coast. RSI was given the task by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA). The findings were tabled in the legislative assembly in response to a starred question by Mandrem BJP MLA Laxmikant Parsenkar on Friday.

Following much apprehension that the village panchayats have issued around 8,500 demolition notices to the structures in CRZ areas all over Goa, the legislators urged the government to intervene and protect the houses of traditional fishermen, toddy tappers and other original inhabitants of the area.

Environment minister Aleixo Sequeira assured the house that most of these dwellings can be saved from demolition as the panchayats had issued the notices without application of mind and proper verification of documents.

Following a petition, the Goa bench of Bombay high court had directed the state government to identify and map all structures and dwelling units that existed in 1991 prior to enactment of the CRZ legislation and those which came up subsequently each calendar year up to October 2006.

Interestingly, the RSI study notes that “door to door field survey, covering all the structures to collect ownership and other details, evoked a meagre response possibly because majority of the owners did not have requisite permissions for construction.”

TOI

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2 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

I sincere agree on the Goa Blog comment which was as true as a fact that even when i just making a study on the coastal areas of Tiracol, North Goa it was noted that one knows that there exist the Tiracol Fort taken over by the Portuguese, so it is 500 years or so old. Even some people there do have link to the portuguese origin, and one will learn that their inhabitants are more older much before the portuguese could arrive there in the Querim Tiracol village.

Sorry to say that as the Tiracol village did not have the Panchayat of its own they were neglected in all matters, be it school, rationing of food grains supplies, crossing ferries as it is now etc etc. One will note that as Tiracol Came under the Querim Panchayat the Tiracol inhabitants were not even registered up till only some years back when Vinu Shetty the Sarpanch thought og regularising the same. This should have happened in the previous regime when they were other Panchayat members inthe 1950’s till 1998 or so. Why have people of both Querim and Tiracol suffer if their old houses were not recorded in their registrar.

It was also noticed that the hyderabad team that arrive did not give the correct demarcation of as to which houses come under the 500 HTL mark. As the coast runs form North to South ina straight line the demarcation seems to run by the river side in a “C” shaped form. Only lately after lots of complain we feel now that with the new map sent to the panchayat it is now seemingly proper running from North to South. But even this is yet to be clarified. I feel that they should once again not trouble the existing coastal fisherman, and toddy tappers, who live along the coastal areas for survival. In my experience Querim has not more than just 2 cases of CRZ (So called regualtion) inthe area up to 200 meters compared to the rest of Goa. This will will be a sure way to understand as t how backwards these areas were in development. Only now past 3 years one sees little structures coming up here. But still i will not be in favour to people (letting or selling their land) to foreigners, or some kind of mixed ownership besides Goan families, to be spared, as this is then BUSINESS. And all right to demolish the said structure be granted, except for NIZ GOENKARS (true Goan) building it for himself and his family to earn a living on it.

Could the CRZ department take note of this please !!

1. joe on July 27th, 2009 at 1:29 am
There are big issue’s in all the Village Panchayat’s of Goa as they are pressurized from the High Court to take action on all the CRZ violators. The village panchayat of Velsao has issued the demolition orders on 20th Feb. to the coastal people. It is mentioned that people has to demolish the structures within 15 days otherwise the Panchayat will come and demolish the dwelling house of the people. Now these notices are issued without verifying proper facts. This is inhumanity (lack of pity, compassion, cruel act). I do understand the loopholes in all the panchayat’s towards the order of High Court. But why the poor, ignorant, innocent, illiterate people has to suffer for all this. People from Velsao costal area are the local inhabitants and their forefathers had been living here for centuries. Some people had renovated the old house, some people had built new house due the expansion in their families. No-one is renting residential houses to tourists. So why the people has to suffer if they have build a shelter in their own land. Shelter for a person is a fundamental right.

Now I would like to comment on the law passed by CRZ management on 19th Feb. 1991. There are some points which the lawmaker’s has not taken into consideration.

1) Land : Private properties of the people are marked as “NO DEVELOPMENT ZONE”. Government has not paid any compensation to declare in this way.

2) Growing population: the needs of the growing population on the coastal areas are ignored. People have open lands but they cannot build a house because of the law passed. Is there any provision made by the government for this people?

3) Occupation: more than 90% of the people are fishermen and toddy tapper’s. The nature of their job forces them to stay close to the sea.

4) Area of Goa: Goa is the smallest state in terms of area. If I am not mistaken the total area is about 1450sq miles. As per the law if we take 500mts from the coastal areas, bays, creeks, rivers etc where the people will go and stay.

Understand from CRZ management that this rule has been implemented to minimize the damage done to the ecosystem. Human beings are not a part of the ecosystem? People had violated the law, as this law was not meeting the needs of the people mainly because of shelter problem.

3. MARIA SEQUEIRA on February 24th, 2009 at 1:28 pm

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