CANACONA: In a major blow to the shacks at turtle nesting sites, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to inform the electricity department to ensure that lights on the beaches concerned are put off after 10 pm.
In its order on Friday, the Pune bench of the NGT (Western Zone), comprising Justice V R Kingaonkar and Expert Member Dr Ajay A Deshpande, also directed the GCZMA to ensure that no bright lights operated with any gadgets to focus area of beaches shall be permitted.
While the NGT order was passed in connection with a petition filed by Poinguinkarancho Ekvott regarding the turtle nesting site at Galgibaga beach, the order could also be applicable to the state’s two other turtle nesting sites at Agonda (Canacona) and Morjim (Pernem).
Hearing the application of Poinguinkarancho Ekvott and the various respondents who were represented by their respective advocates, the NGT said: “By order dated December 22, 2014, we directed that tourism activities in the area of turtle nesting at the beaches of prohibited area, shall be monitored/stopped due to prohibition under the CRZ Notification.”
“The Applicant states that despite such order, the activities are not completely stopped, but only paper work is being exchanged as regards responsibility to fix CCTV cameras by one department or another and monitoring of activities of tourists.”
The private parties had submitted their presentations explaining and justifying continuation of alleged temporary structures, which are not on the beaches as such, but are attached to their private properties.
The advocate for the GCZMA submitted to the NGT that show-cause notices were being replied to by the private parties on February 18, and an immediate decision would be taken within a short span.
The NGT has directed that the GCZMA should immediately inform the electricity board concerned to ensure that lights on the beaches concerned are put off after 10 pm and shall not be operated thereafter till sunrise of the next day.
“The GCZMA shall also ensure by giving due instructions to the police and coastal guards that no bright lights operated with any gadgets to focus area of beaches, shall be permitted and no photography should be allowed.”
The NGT also made it clear that any illegal construction/shack is annexed even to private property within NDZ area, in the prohibited CRZ area, under the Notification, the same would have to be dismantled.
“We direct that the GCZMA shall take final decision within two weeks after February 18, and if any illegal construction/shack is annexed even to private property within NDZ area, in the prohibited CRZ area, under the Notification, the same shall be dismantled, without any further order of the Tribunal and without awaiting for any further directions and even without awaiting for filing of stay-application or Appeal, because if at all, any Appeal is filed we may consider it later on, whether any such interim relief is required expost-facto,” ruled the NGT.
