Team Herald
MARGAO: An activist lawyer from Margao has lodged a complaint against a prestigious educational institute for violating the law of the land and illegally filling up catchment area of River Sal in total violation of the Coastal Zone Regulation and said if no action is taken within a week he would move the court to stop the illegal work.
“How could an educational institute that is supposed to teach about environment and its protection carry out such violation that is totally harmful to environment and could lead to flooding in neighbouring area including the village of Benaulim,” he said speaking to media persons.
He pointed out that the land being filled is actually a khazan land that is protected and acts as catchment area to hold the excess water in River Sal during the monsoons and at time of floods. He demanded not only stopping the land filling but also restoring the land to its original condition failing which he said there was possibility of the area getting flooded.
He said the education institute got permission from the Town and Country Planning Department to fill up the land by misrepresentation; the permission was obtained by showing River Sal as a nallah.
“They have no permission of whatsoever nature from the Margao Municipal Council or the Coastal Zone Management Authority even though River Sal is a tidal river coming under the CRZ,” he said and lamented that not even an inspection has been conducted by the authorities even though he had filed his complaint on January 14, 2019.
He said the authorities will have to inspect the land filled up and demanded that the land be restored to its original status.
