Goa government to demarcate ecologically sensitive areas afresh

PANAJI: Goa Government is all set to redo the exercise to demarcate the ecologically-sensitive areas in the state's western ghat region following a notification by the Union Ministry of Environment declaring several villages as sensitive areas.

State Environment Minister Alina Saldanha told the Legislative Assembly today that the notification dated March 10, 2014 under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1980 has declared areas of Western ghats as ecologically-sensitive areas.

"A total of 99 villages in Goa fall in eco-sensitive area covering 1,461 sq kms. When this demarcation was done no reality was taken into consideration," the minister said.

Saldanha said that as a result of this exercise, certain villages like Khola in Canacona, Rivona and Colamb villages in Sanguem, which do not form contiguity with the Western ghat, are included in the eco-sensitive area.

"Similarly Poinguinim and Loliem villages have been completely included in the ecologically-sensitive areas," she said.

The minister said that certain industries like distillery, industrial estates, milk processing and dairy products, non-alcoholic beverages, oil and gas transportation pipeline etc. are banned in eco-sensitive areas.

"Some of these industries are the one in which common man indulges in and are his means of livelihood. All these constraints need to be considered," she said, adding that her department is going to conduct the entire exercise once again.

"For this all the concerned departments will be taken into confidence," she added.