TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Making Consent to Operate under Air and Water pollution (control) Act mandatory for the beach shack operators, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has sought list of shacks allotted for the ongoing tourism season from the Tourism Department.
In a letter written to the Directorate of Tourism earlier this week, the Board has sought details of number of shacks allotted along with the detail shack sketch, including the locality of kitchen, septic tank and soak pit.
GSPCB Chairman Jose Manual Noronha said that as per NGT order issued in February, last year, the Board has no authority to exempt any industry from obtaining Consent under the Water and Air Act.
Noronha said that a letter has been written to Director of Tourism seeking details of shacks at the earliest. “Once the details are made available, we will issue notices directing the shack operators to apply for Consent to operate,” he said adding that six months time would be granted to the shack operators to comply with all the conditions stipulated with the Consent.
“The shack licence is given for three years. This is their second year. If they don’t apply now, they won’t be able to start operation next season,” he clarified. The Tourism Department has declined giving new shack licences in addition to the 337 already granted last year. The tenure of the shacks as per the beach shack policy is three year (from 2013-16). Shacks have already come up along the beach belts, with first charter flight landing in Goa in the first week of October.
With NGT declaring operation of all small and micro enterprise units without Consent to operate as “illegal”, Board had issued show cause notices to 2,343 industries and 2,624 hotels to apply for consent. Just on the heels of tourism season last year, Board had also initiated special drive along the beach belts, making shacks and eatery operators the need to have Consent.
