Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has endorsed the River Navigation Department’s proposal to reconstruct and expand the existing jetty opposite the Old Secretariat in Panaji, forwarding it to the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for environmental clearance.
The recommendation was made during the authority’s latest meeting after the River Navigation Department (RND) submitted a Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP), as directed earlier by the GCZMA.
The project had remained pending until the environmental assessment was completed. After reviewing the findings and deliberating on the proposal, the authority resolved to recommend it to the SEIAA for further consideration.
The environmental study examined the likely impact of the proposed jetty extension on the Mandovi river ecosystem, including benthic organisms, mangrove vegetation and other aquatic life. It also assessed whether the project complies with the applicable Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms and environmental safeguards.
According to official records, the project site lies around 9.2 metres from the Mandovi river and is entirely located within the CRZ-IVB category, which permits jetty-related infrastructure under the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), 2011. Although the site itself is devoid of sand dunes and major vegetation, mangroves are present along its periphery.
The proposed structure will be an L-shaped reinforced cement concrete (RCC) jetty with two sections measuring 25 metres and 15 metres. It will be constructed using M35 grade concrete reinforced with Fe 500 TMT steel, while bollards will be integrated into the deck and beam structure for berthing purposes.
The proposal will now be placed before the Goa SEIAA, which is the competent authority to decide whether the project will receive the required environmental clearance.
