‘Minor ports give false impression of MPT expansion’ | Goa News

Panaji: Based on the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for Goa, many citizens had expressed fears that it appears that the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) could be expanding its activities to other coastal areas of Goa.
The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has, however, now clarified that MPT and all minor ports in Panaji, etc have been marked in a single colour code in the CZMP. This, it said, has given the wrong impression that MPT is taking over minor port areas as well.
“The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) sought a notification of port limits with an email to the department of environment. Consequently, copies of the notification of major port limits i.e. MPT, including Betul, and of minor ports – Panaji, Chapora, Tiracol, Sal and Talpona – were provided to NCSCM,” the GCZMA has said, clarifying objections raised to the draft CZMP for Goa.
The coastal authority has said that the NCSCM has shown the port limits in the CZMP maps and that major and minor ports have all been shown in a single colour code.
“This has thereby created confusion and doubt among the general public that all areas shown under port limits is a major port i.e. MPT. Numerous objections and suggestions have been received from the general public on this issue, including apprehensions that the ports authority proposed to be constituted under the Major Port Authorities Bill may acquire their land shown within port limits,” GCZMA has said.
Some local bodies have also expressed apprehensions regarding dilution or overlapping of their jurisdictions with the port jurisdiction.
“An email seeking clarification was forwarded to the NCSCM as to why the port limits were depicted in the draft CZMP maps. The NCSCM has clarified that as per the provision of the CRZ notification, the no development zone of CRZ is not applicable within port limits,” the GCZMA said.
The GCZMA, however, noted that as per the guidelines for preparation of the coastal plan provided to states, it has not been expressly specified that port limits should be depicted in the draft CZMP.
“Hence, the GCZMA decided to recommend to the NCSCM to remove depiction of port limits from the draft CZMP before submission to the National Coastal Zone Management Authority,” the GCZMA has said.