Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Nov 7: The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has granted Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) approval to the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) for setting up temporary structures to conduct the Ghat Aarti on the banks of the Mandovi River at Naroa in Bicholim. The proposed project will cover an area of around 20,000 square metres.

According to the GCZMA, the approval was given after the GTDC assured that all installations would be temporary in nature. “The authority discussed the proposal, and the representative of the project stated that all structures will be temporary. The authority, therefore, approved the proposal on condition that no structures are erected within the mangrove buffer zone,” the approval note stated.

The project includes a floating jetty, puja mandap, viewing platform, ticket booth, community toilet block, tourist information shelter, and rain shelter, along with seating arrangements for visitors to watch the Aarti.

As per the Coastal Zone Management Plan 2011, the site falls within a CRZ area. During inspection, the GCZMA expert team observed that the proposed ferry ramp, steps, aarti deck, and puja mandap lie within the intertidal zone. The team also noted that the proposed tourist information counter falls within the mangrove buffer zone—an ecologically sensitive area where development must be avoided.

However, the team mentioned that minor facilities benefiting local inhabitants may be permitted under CRZ Notification 2011. Experts have recommended that all developmental work remain restricted to the riverbank and not extend into the intertidal zone.