Mapping of ecological sensitive index of Goa beaches begins

Following frequent oil spills during the monsoon season, an exercise to map the Ecological Sensitive Index (ESI) of the beaches has been started in the coastal state.
"The study (exercise) has been initiated by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) which will try to understand the kind of coastal resources that would be at risk due to perennial oil spills across Goa's shoreline," as per the annual report for 2015-16 fiscal released by GSPCB.
"The mapping would be done up to a distance of 40 kilometres from the shore," it added.
The report mentions that Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority will also be assisting both the organisations in this "historical study".

"The Goa coast is rich in diverse eco-systems and accordingly, its preservation and protection is a pre- requisite for sustainable development," the GSPCB said.
The coastal state has witnessed severe oil spills in the past due to the ships navigating off the Goa coast.

"The Goa coast faces an increasing threat from oil spill from passing ships, port activities, petro-chemical exploration and exploration activities, navigational accidents and others," the report stated.
The state government fears that such spills can have a serious economic impact on activities like tourism, fisheries and aquaculture.
Goa's eco-system comprises of bays, estuaries, rocky headlands, sandy beaches, creeks, cliffs, salt-pans and 'khazan' lands.

The estuarine ecology constitutes swamps, mangroves, mudflats, river terraces and islands.
The study would be conducted along the beaches of Miramar, Bambolim, Bogmalo, Velsao, Mormugao, Cab-de-Ram, Agonda, Palolem, Talpona and Gagibaga, it added.
The pollution control board has said the mapping would provide a concise summary of coastal resources that are at risk if an oil spill occurs in its surrounding.