Congress party members ‘bury’ themselves in sand at Miramar

NT NETWORK

PANAJI

The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee exhibited an innovative method of protest against the recently notified Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification 2018, at the Miramar beach on Thursday.

Members of the state Youth Congress led by their president Varad Mhardolkar buried themselves in the sands on the beach, to protest against the controversial notification. The Mahila Congress workers also participated in the protest.

The central government had notified the new CRZ notification earlier this month. The draft notification was first notified on April 18, 2018, for suggestions and objections from the public, which were to be submitted within 60 days. Thereafter, on December 28, 2018, the Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the CRZ notification with a few minor changes.

The GPCC along with many NGOs and traditional fishing communities had lodged protests across the state against the particular notification.

Congress stated that the stakeholders including traditional fishermen had protested against lowering the High Tide Line (HTL) from 200 metres to 50 metres. “Even though more than one lakh people objected to the notification, the central government did not consult any of the stakeholders and went ahead with notifying the draft notification,” it maintained.

Congress leaders like Digambar Kamat, Francisco Sardinha, Agnelo Fernandes and Surendra Furtado were present at the protest.

Sardinha said that if the notification remains in force, it would destroy many of the Goan beaches, while Kamat stated that the central government has notified the document without interacting with the important stakeholders namely fisherfolk community.