A largely win-win situation for tourism

PANAJI: With temporary tourism facilities of toilets, changing rooms and other facilities, and defreezing of floor area ratio in coastal regulation zone (CRZ) II, Goa has a few takeaways from CRZ 2018 but firm action is inevitable against violations, tourism industry leaders say.

Goa has at least four takeaways, reduction of CRZ in rivers to 50 meters, no development zone (NDZ) around rivers to 20 metres and other benefits, they said.

The notification has simplified CRZ clearance procedures, and only projects in ecologically sensitive areas of CRZ-I and in area covered between low tide line and 12 nautical miles seaward in CRZ IV will now be dealt by central government for clearance.

“Much-needed temporary tourism facilities are also now permissible in NDZ of CRZ-III areas. But a minimum 10m distance from the high tide line (HTL) is needed due to serious concern about pollution of sea water and beaches,” Francisco Braganza, former president of travel and tourism association of Goa (TTAG), said.

The tourism industry said alarm bells have been unnecessarily raised over reduction of NDZ in CRZ III from 200m to 50m. Even Calangute with highest population density of 13,810 in 11.72 sq kms – 1,178 per sqkm as against 2,161 per sq km – doesn’t meet the requisite parameter. An official from census operation confirmed not a single village in Goa meets this requirement.

Other leaders pointed out that reduction of NDZ to 50m on river banks will not affect Goa, as the state has not been hit by rivers flooding its banks or changing course. Recent floods in cities like Panaji is due to improper maintenance of drainage systems and clogging of drains, Ralph D’Souza, a spokesman of TTAG said.

Activists and environmentalists have reacted sharply to the proposed changes, stating that it will have disastrous consequences to Goa’s coastline and estuarine zones.

But tourism industry figures showed concentration of floating population of tourists and migrants – five or six times its actual — is far greater in coastal belt and non-coastal areas need to be developed to regulate their inflow in coastal areas.