Goa Youth Congress protests against coastal zone notification

Panaji, Jan 24 (IANS) In a unique protest organised to demand scrapping of the controversial Coastal Regulatory Zone Notification 2018, Youth Congress workers on Thursday buried themselves waist-deep into the sands at Panaji's popular Miramar beach, to highlight the perils of the notification issued by the Central government.

"We are trying to highlight the ill-effects of the notification, which will sound a death-knell for coastal communities as well as the coastline itself, by allowing construction activity near beaches and rivers. The notification shrinks the high tide line from 200 mts to 50 mts, thereby allowing construction and development near the coast," Goa Youth Congress President Varad Mardolkar said.

Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar also said that the Congress would raise the issue about the perils of the notification in the upcoming session of the state Legislative Assembly beginning January 29.

"We, as a party, demand revocation of the notification, which will put live and property in Goa to risk in case of natural calamities like floods. We have already seen the destruction caused by floods in Kerala. We do not want to see the same in Goa," Kavlekar said.