Team Herald

GOLITM NAVELIM-DIVAR: Is this another Tiracol in the making? The pristine island of Divar is witnessing the beginning of a similar agitation against the reported threat to the ecology of the village because of the construction of a yacht club.

Destruction of mangroves and the disturbance of the peace on the island of Divar have got the islanders up in arms against a private company that is planning the yacht club project on the island.

The story began on July 8, 2014, when Goltim-Navelim-Piedade Panchayat granted provisional NOC (No Objection Certificate) to Champions Yacht Club, which led to the destruction of mangroves on the island and disturbed the peace of the villagers. 

The destruction of mangroves and dredging of small tributaries, on which traditional fishermen banked upon, occurred to develop the private land that falls within Survey Number 118/1. 

The village gram sabha held on August 9 resolved that henceforth NOCs and permissions for such projects on the island would not be issued until placed before the villagers at a gram sabha.

“We had given provisional NOCs based on their request and now it has been revoked as Champions Yacht Club has failed to furnish permissions from other state government authorities as per conditions of the NOCs,” Sarpanch Prasad Harmalkar told Herald. 

He said the panchayat office is not in the receipt of any permission to Champions Yacht Club from any authority, which they were supposed to submit within six months. 

United Divar, a group of citizens of the island, have decided to approach the High Court through public interest litigation, as the illegal temporary structures erected and ordered to be demolished continue due to a stay on the order. 

The background of the case is as follows. Goltim-Navelim-Piedade panchayat received four applications on June 20, 2014 for cleaning of the property and dredging, installing floating pontoons, electricity connection and repair of old structure.    The panchayat issued NOC for the other three applications but held back the one for the repair of the old structure. Villagers alleged that the applicant has not just cut mangroves but has removed the entire mangrove cover, which is ecologically sensitive

Survey Number 118/1 belongs to the Champions Club, which falls under CRZ I, which is a No Development Zone (NDZ) where according to Coastal Regulations Zone (CRZ) there should be no development activities. Divar residents have opposed the company’s action and condemned the panchayat’s role. 

The panchayat gave the NOCs without realizing the impact it would have. However, Champions Yacht Club that was supposed to get permissions from the other authorities failed to do so but villagers say that didn’t stop them from going ahead with their plans.

Champions club officials were not available for comment.