Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral, in the eye of a storm over the draft CZMP, on Wednesday stated that the NCSCM, Chennai, which has prepared the plan, has admitted to discrepancies.
Cabral alongwith GCZMA officials visited NCSCM in Chennai with the issues raised by the locals regarding demarcation of sand dunes and mangroves.
“The Department of Environment will carry out the ground truthing in such cases and factual position will be forwarded to NCSCM to carry out the necessary changes in the draft CZMP, 2011,” Cabral said at a press conference.
The minister said that during the meeting NCSCM clarified there are were some discrepancies which will be rectified. “It was brought to the notice of NCSCM that certain data on fish landing centres, traditional fishing parks, roads network access to the beach have not been featured on CZMP maps and the State government will provide necessary data for inclusion in the draft CZMP 2011,” he said.
He added that it was also pointed out that NCSCM had not provided details of fishing infrastructure, fishing zone, fish breeding areas, water quality indicating pollution levels, which were provided to them by Department of Environment. 
“NCSCM has agreed and informed that they will include the said data on the draft CZMP, 2011. It was also agreed that the government will provide details of existing/proposed cyclone shelters, helipad, roads etc for inclusion in the draft CZMP 2011,” Cabral said.
He stated that the government requested NCSCM to prepare a comparative chart of CZMP 1996 and draft CZMP 2011 and mark base as per the NHO charts, which was agreed. “NCSCM has requested the State government details of the authorised development of structures of seaward side like cyclone shelter, ramps, jetties, road maps, etc. NCSCM office informed that other residential and commercial structures are not depicted on the draft CZMP, before the notification, however, same could be decided during the preparation of local level CZMP maps for implementation after notification of CZMP,” he added.
 
They also clarified, Cabral said, that the presence or absence on the CZMP does not determine its legal status. “As regards to the request of State government not to demarcate the HTL beyond the sluice gates and bunds, NCSCM has clarified that in case sluice gates are functional and bunds are not been breached the HTL demarcation has been restricted at the sluice gates/bunds in case for draft CZMP for Goa as well as CZMP for other states,” he said.