Panaji: The Goa state government has appointed the CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Dona Paula, to prepare environmental management plans for ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) and integrated island management plans (IMPs) for the state’s islands under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019. The project is estimated to cost over Rs 1.8 crore.
Scope of Work
NIO will prepare plans for ESAs mapped by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Chennai, and IMPs for Goa’s islands as per the Island Protection Zone Notification, 2011. A senior government official stated that NIO will prepare management plans for ESAs under CRZ-IA, including mangroves, coral reefs, sand dunes, mudflats, protected forests, wildlife habitats, turtle nesting sites, seagrass beds, salt marshes, and heritage sites.
Buffer Zones
If a mangrove area exceeds 1,000 square meters, a 50-meter buffer along the mangroves will be provided, and the area will be identified as CRZ-IA.
Data and Support
According to the official, the environment department will provide all the data and maps required for the ESA and island management plans in digital, GIS-compatible formats, with separate files for each demarcated ESA in shapefiles or other GIS-compatible formats. NIO teams will also be provided site access and protection from local resistance, with state support provided only when data or on-ground assistance is needed.
“All data and maps in the prescribed format must be provided by government departments to CSIR-NIO to prepare the management plan report,” the official added.
