Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Goa government is collaborating with the National Institute of Oceanography to conduct a survey on the coastal belt’s carrying capacity.
This initiative aims to assess the impact of tourism on the environment in the state. Aleixo Sequeira, the state’s environment minister, revealed this information during an event organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
The minister addressed concerns expressed by former union minister Suresh Prabhu, who emphasized the need to preserve the unique biodiversity of the Western Ghats in Goa. Prabhu also stressed the importance of understanding Goa’s carrying capacity to manage development sustainably.
Sequeira confirmed that the government is actively pursuing this study and has initiated the process of delegating it to the National Institute of Oceanography. However, he also acknowledged unresolved issues related to the Western Ghats and assured that the state government is addressing these matters with the Union Environment Ministry.
The Goan government has reached out to the Union environment ministry to request a reduction in the number of ecologically sensitive villages identified for declaration as ecologically sensitive by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel.
In 2016, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) identified specific “no-go areas” along Goa’s coastline and established criteria for determining the permissible number of shacks in a given stretch of coastline.
NCSCM recommended categorizing beaches based on their ecological features, with some designated as “no-go areas” due to the presence of sensitive ecosystems and others as “no activity areas” due to factors such as the presence of fishing villages and high erosion.
As of now, only turtle-nesting beaches have been identified for conservation or reduced activity.
This indicates an ongoing commitment to managing Goa’s coastal areas in a sustainable manner.
