Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued notices to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar’s son Abhijat, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Goa government in connection with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against them alleging destruction of eco-fragile area at Netravali for an eco-resort.
The notices to Abhijat, also promoter of Hideaway Hospitality, Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Goa Chief Secretary, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, the Goa State Eco Sensitive Zone Management Committee, Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board, Chief Town Planner and Deputy Town Planner; and Village Panchayat of Neturlim have granted them one month’s time to reply. The matter is fixed for hearing on March 11.
Deputy Sarpanch of Netravali Abhijit Desai and Prakash Bhagat had earlier this month filed a PIL in the High Court pleading to stop any further activities at the project site and to direct restoration of forest land and further penalise for destruction of green cover.
The petitioners pointed out to a series of alleged violations by Hideaway Hospitality and alleged that approvals were arbitrarily granted by overruling the Central regulations with regards to eco-sensitive zones.
The project is located adjacent to the Netravali wildlife sanctuary and as such, the petition stated, should not have been approved by the State Level Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) monitoring committee (ESZMC) without preparing the Zonal Master Plan as per directions of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). They alleged that site inspection was also not carried out.
The petitioners prayed that the court seek all files from the respondents pertaining to the project and direct Goa State Eco Sensitive Zone Management Committee from granting any clearances in ESZ areas without preparing the Zonal Master Plan as per the said ESZ Notification. It also sought restricting the Town & Country Planning Department from permitting any changes of zones.
