PANAJI: A draft notification issued by the Union environment ministry proposes to declare 108 Goa villages, spread across 1,461sqkm, instead of 99 villages, as the Western Ghats’ Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESAs). State govt had written to Union govt to notify only 63 villages as ESA.
A senior officer said, “Now villages on the map and the list match.” This is the fourth draft notification issued by Union govt.
The ministry said that notice is hereby given that the said draft notification shall be taken into consideration for publishing the final notification of the Western Ghats ESA in a phased manner, either state-wise or through a combined single notification, on or after the expiry of a period of 60 days from the date on which copies of the gazette of India containing this notification are made available to the public.
“Any person interested in raising any objections or giving suggestions on the proposals contained in the draft notification may forward the same in writing, for consideration of central govt within the period so specified, to the Union environment secretary,” the notification said.
“Actual area will be finalised based on the recommendation of state, views of stakeholders, and the ESA expert committee,” the ministry said. The identified villages are spread across the talukas of Sattari, Canacona, Dharbandora and Sanguem.
The environment ministry said that there shall be a complete ban on mining, quarrying and sand mining in the ESA, and all existing mines shall be phased out within five years from the date of issue of the final notification or on the expiry of the existing mining lease, whichever is earlier.
State govt had written to Centre to notify only 63 villages as ESAs, so that state does not face economic loss and unemployment for the inhabitants.
In its letter to the environment ministry, Goa govt had said that in many of the villages which need to be excluded from ESA, there are both major and minor minerals, and they have been leased out with valid environmental clearance.
