Goa has five wildlife sanctuaries, a national park, a bird sanctuary, a coral reef at Grande island. If the government is ready to support visionary ideas, the state could have a unique beach sand dune park or two.

Antonio Mascarenhas, a Goa coastal zone management authority (GCZMA) member had suggested that the sand dunes on Mandrem and Morjim beaches in Pernem, Agonda and Galgibaga in Canacona could be carved out as sand dune parks. Under the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) 2011notification, these four beaches have been designated as turtle nesting grounds and protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. “Developmental activities in the turtle breeding areas are prohibited and these beaches are already protected by law,” said Mascarenhas.

If the dunes are notified, Goa will become the first state to do so. Mascarenhas had put up the proposal at a GCZMA meet recently. He said the financial implications are not major and some private individuals are willing to support it. “This would be the first ever effort towards showcasing natural coastal dune systems in Goa and the littoral of India,” he said. Beach dune systems are vital in terms of their role in minimizing the impact of natural hazards. “The December 2004 tsunami proved it, as dune fields came to the rescue of coastal villages in Tamil Nadu,” he said. Morjim is considered most suitable for the proposal, as its southern tip is about half-a-kilometre long, and is characterized by a significant sand dune field with luxuriant vegetation carpet. “Hence, it is ideal from a geological, geomorphological and biological perspective,” added Mascarenhas.

The second best dune park could be Galgibaga beach with its high linear dune field that ends in the spit at the river mouth. “The dune line is well preserved and the vegetation cover is largely thick and intact,” he noted.

Featured in The Times of India, Goa Edition on 26th May, 2016