PONDA: The Undir locals who had launched an agitation for the past one year against the proposed STP in their residential area under its banner Undir Paryawaran Saurakshan Manch received a setback as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) at Delhi dismissed their appeal against the approval issued by Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for a 15-million litres daily (MLD) sewage treatment plant at Undir, Bandora. It stated the GCZMA authority had addressed all the complainant’s concerns.
Undir Paryavaran Saurakhxan Manch, had filed an appeal in National Green Tribunal (NGT) at Delhi challenging the NOC/ Permission granted by Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) on January 25 2018 for proposed construction of 15 MLD STP in the property bearing survey no.119/0 at Undir in Bandora Village, saying the permission was granted by GCZMA without application of mind about the environmental impacts of Project and in violation of environment impact assessment (EIA) notification, 2006 and that the project violated the Coastal Regulations Zone (CRZ) notification, 2011 as 10,000sqm of the project area falls within the backwaters and mangroves of Zuari river.
Further, it submitted that as per CRZ notification, mangroves are included under CRZ-I areas and there is a prohibition on setting up or expanding waste disposal mechanisms within CRZ-I areas.
Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande said the site is in a paddy field, about 1.5 km from the river bank and 109 mangrove trees would have to be felled.
The forest department has issued approval on condition that thrice the number of felled trees would have to be planted. Further, not setting up a plant would result in untreated sewage going into the river.
The NGT in the order stated that in facts and circumstances stated above, we are of the considered opinion that as the proposed site is the paddy field though bearing some trees of mangrove species situated at a distance of 1.5 Km. from the bank of the river, it does not fall within NDZ and not covered by CRZ –I regulations.
We, therefore, hold that all the concerns of the appellant have been considered and addressed by the GCZMA while giving NOC /approval, hence petition is dismissed.
Meanwhile the locals speaking to Herald said since the past one year they were fighting against the STP and also launched a massive agitation against project which is coming in a residential area as well as falling in No Development Zone.
The locals said the they had even passed a resolution in gramasabha against the project and even Bandora Panchayat had revoked the NOC to project. Locals said that they are against STP in their area as they fear the proposed STP would cause massive pollution in residential area and will challenge the order of NGT as well as approval/ NOC granted by GCZMA in the Supreme Court of India.
