After EIA waiver, Nauxim marina promoter approaches GCZMA
Panaji: The promoter of the controversial marina project planned in Nauxim, Bambolim, has once again applied to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance, nearly nine years after signing the initial lease agreement.
Stating that it has been nearly nine years since it initially submitted its proposal, Kargwal Construction Pvt. Ltd. has requested the GCZMA expedite the CRZ clearance, which is crucial for the timely commencement of the project.
Kargwal Construction Pvt. Ltd. had signed a 30-year agreement with the Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) in 2010 for the development of the project. It had also submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and related studies to the GCZMA.
Recently, the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Environment Ministry exempted the project from environmental clearance under the EIA Notification 2006.
The project, which has been hanging in balance for almost nine years, is expected to accommodate 239 boats on the northern bank of the Zuari River and will have a water spread area of 1 lakh sqm and a land area of 50,000 sqm.
The GCZMA has not yet reviewed the proposal or made a decision on the CRZ clearance because it is currently focused on complying with the High Court›s directives regarding illegal structures in the Anjuna and Arambol coastal areas.
The board said that the project does not require a public hearing as it is exempt from obtaining environmental clearance under EIA Notification 2006.
The marina project envisages providing various facilities in addition to docking for boats and yachts, like stays, swimming, play, shopping, business and cultural meetings, etc. The company wants to establish the marina through its wholly owned subsidiary, Anytime Harbour of Yachts Pvt. Ltd.
The project has faced opposition from various quarters, including the Environment Minister, the local MLA, and the fishermen, who have raised concerns over its impact on the coastal ecosystem, the livelihood of the fishermen, and the food security of the locals.
They have also questioned the validity of the EIA reports and the need for such a project in the state.
The project also faced a legal hurdle when the High Court of Bombay at Goa stopped seven major projects approved by the state’s Investment Promotion Board (IPB), including marinas, in response to a petition filed by an NGO in 2016. The matter was then disposed of on September 10, 2018, with a direction to the IPB to decide on the projects by November 30.
The public hearing for the Nauxim marina project was initially scheduled for November 2, 2019, but was postponed after some MLAs said that the chief minister had decided to defer the hearing till the state coastal zone management plan was ready. The hearing was then rescheduled for July 26, 2020, but was again postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown restrictions.
Now, with the marina exempted from environmental clearance post-EIA Notification 2016, the GCZMA›s impending decision on the CRZ nod holds the key to the project›s revival.
