Goemkarponn desk
BICHOLIM:: The Union Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) has published a new draft notice designating 108 villages in Goa, spanning 1,461 kilometers of the Western Ghats, as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs). Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has stated that there is no reason to fear this announcement.
The Chief Minister said to the media, “The Government of India has released a new draft notification for Western Ghats.” It applies to Kerala, Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. We had previously requested that 66 communities be designated as eco-sensitive regions. The requirements were continuity, height above sea level, and dense woodland.
“We have discussed the matter with the Central government from 2012 till 2024. I have had two meetings with the Union Minister for Environment and Climate Change since I became Chief Minister. Sawant stated, “I recently met with the Union Minister for Environment and Climate Change, along with State Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira.
“People shouldn’t panic about the issue,” he stated. This notification is a draft and not the final version. We will prepare ideas and objections with the locals and MLAs in confidence, and we will work to ensure that the greatest number of communities are removed from the list.
“We must protect both our livelihood and the environment. It’s also essential to declare ESA. We’ll make sure that regular business operations and home reconstruction are unaffected,” he stated.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) has designated 108 villages in Goa, which are dispersed over 1,461 kilometres of the Western Ghats, as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs) in its sixth draft notice, which was published on July 31, 2024. North Goa contains 64 of the 108 villages, while South Goa has 44.
