Panaji (Goa) There is likely to be more delay in finalizing the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), as the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) has now proposed to conduct ‘ground truthing’ exercise to verify the accuracy of coastal maps.

The exercise would be conducted from November 7-10.

The fresh exercise would be undertaken for clear demarcation of water areas of the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) IV and fishing zone in fish breeding areas

The draft CZMP was placed before the Government on May 9, wherein the elected representatives had raised several queries. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had accordingly had directed NCSCM to undertake necessary changes.

Further, delay in demarcation of the hazard line along the India’s coastal belt has also hampered finalization of CZMP. The Survey of India (Department of Science and Technology) which is entrusted with the task to map, delineate and demarcate the hazard line, is yet to furnish its report.

The old CZMP drafted way back in 1996 was valid upto January 2017. There is no plan in force at present.