Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Oct 14: The Forest Department has raised strong objections to the proposed maintenance dredging at the mouth of the Chapora River, citing the absence of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study to gauge its effects on the ecologically sensitive turtle nesting beaches of Morjim and Mandrem.

In its submission to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), the department pointed out that the Captain of Ports (CoP) — the implementing agency — plans to use the dredged sand for construction purposes, a move that violates the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines which strictly prohibit beach sand mining.

The CoP had approached GCZMA seeking CRZ clearance for the dredging project. However, the Authority decided to seek the Forest Department’s views before granting approval to ensure that the project would not disturb the nesting grounds of Olive Ridley turtles at Morjim and Mandrem.

The Forest Department cautioned that Morjim beach, located near the proposed dredging site, is a notified turtle nesting area, and any disturbance in the riverbed could impact the stability of nearby beaches. “It is therefore requested that GCZMA advise the CoP department to undertake an EIA study through a reputed institution to assess the project’s impact on the Morjim and Mandrem turtle nesting beaches,” the department stated.

It also noted that the river island near the dredging site serves as an important roosting and feeding habitat for migratory birds, urging that the EIA should include a study on the potential effects on the island’s avifauna.

The department further flagged that the CoP’s proposal to store dredged sand near Vagator beach and reuse it for construction contradicts CRZ notification provisions. “The proposal may be re-examined by GCZMA with reference to the CRZ notification, which prohibits such sand mining in Goa,” it added.

Following a site inspection, GCZMA experts observed that the area falls under CRZ-IV as per the 2011 notification. The CoP has proposed to dredge 1.25 lakh cubic metres of sand over an area measuring 1,000 metres in length, 50 metres in width, and 2.5 metres in depth. The Authority has suggested reassessing the dredging depth to minimize the volume extracted.

Records show that CoP had previously conducted maintenance dredging in the Chapora River, removing around 33,000 cubic metres in 2011–12 and 1.05 lakh cubic metres in 2018–19.