PANJIM : Work on the Tiracol bridge – the part that was earlier stayed by National Green Tribunal (NGT), Pune – has been stayed further by a recent order of the tribunal. NGT, after ordering stay of work on pier No. 6, also directed the government to identify an expert body from three names suggested by it to ascertain whether the construction of the piers at their present location would damage the mouth of the river.
“We direct the state to seek a report of the Central Water Power Research Station (CWPRS) Pune, or NIO, Goa or NIOT, Chennai, regarding environmental impacts on the estuarine area, particularly, on the spit of Keri (pillar no. 6) and particularly regarding changes, if any, caused as a result of construction activity in the tidal water activity, or changes of estuarine areas, due to adverse impact of construction put in or that construction of pillar No. 6, is likely to influence the tidal movements of water of river whatsoever it may be,” says the order by Justice V R Kingaonkar and Dr Ajay A Deshpande. The report is to be ready and submitted within four weeks.
NGT also maintained the stay on the bridge work, pursuant to its earlier orders. NGT had already stayed new work on the bridge, exempting work on piers already concreted by GSIDC. The NGT had also stayed work on the Tiracol side of the bridge as it involved work for which a clearance was
required under the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act.
The tribunal was considering an application filed by the Goa Foundation which argued that the construction of the bridge was in violation of the CRZ notification and the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
The Goa Foundation plea has asked for a stay on the construction of the bridge and its eventual removal for being constructed in violation of the CRZ notification and for being constructed without the approval of the statutory authority. It had alleged the bridge was being constructed by the government out of public funds but clearly benefitted the owners of a golf course resort proposed at Tiracol.
After listening to the counsel of the Goa Foundation, the NGT passed its latest order forbidding any work on pillar number 6 which was being freshly dug in the spit at the mouth of the Tiracol river. Goa Foundation told NGT that if due care was not taken, the sand would move further northward as a result of the new obstruction and block the mouth of Tiracol river, effectively turning it into a lagoon for several months.
Precautionary principle required the bridge construction to be done only after a proper study of the movement of sand and the tidal currents operating in the estuarine area. Already the construction of the sea wall on the Querim beach had eliminated most of the beach and emptied the beach of the sand as well.
Goa Foundation has alleged that the Rs 77-crore bridge is being constructed with public money for almost exclusive use of the golf course resort project of a leading hotel proposed at Tiracol.
The hotel claims it has purchased 90 per cent of the village lands (all of which is tenanted) for erecting the golf course.
