The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authori ty (GCZMA) has directed the removal of encroachments and landfilling in the river ine area of Curtorim village, ordering that 4,207 square metres of altered land be restored to its original state within two months. The Authority has in structed that the work be carried out under the su pervision of the Captain of Ports Department, the Goa State Biodiversity Board and an Expert Member of the GCZMA. Member Secretary Sachin Desai further stat ed that “the cost incurred towards such supervision of the Captain of Ports, Goa State Biodiversity and Ex pert Member GCZMA should be borne by the party.” The Deputy Collector and SDO of Salcete, Margao, has also been directed to moni tor compliance and submit a report to the GCZMA within three days after the expiry of the two-month period. The directions were issued under Section 5 of the En vironment (Protection) Act, 1986, read with Rule 4(3) (a) of the Environment (Pro tection) Rules, 1986. The case dates back to a complaint filed in March 2016 by Judith Almeida, Sec retary of the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum, concern ing alleged encroachment and filling of water bodies in two survey numbers in Cur torim. The Authority relied on multiple inspection re ports, joint inspections and Google imagery to conclude that there had been blatant violation. “Cumulatively the Google images on record, the letter of ISLR to the Captain of Ports and various inspec tion and joint inspection reports of Expert Members only fortify that there has been blatant encroachment of riverine area and landfill ing of land in the two sur vey numbers of Curtorim village,” the order stated. The Inspector of Sur vey and Land Records (Margao), in its map for warded vide letter dated 23/02/2021, “has clearly identified 4207.73 sq mts of landfilling/encroach ment carried out by the Respondent which will re quire restoration work,” it added. Rejecting the defence that the site was a protec tive bund, the Authority observed: “The Respondent has failed to prove his case and provide any justifica tion through documents or otherwise for the said bla tant encroachment of the riverine area of River Zuari and landfilling of land. The Authority observed that since the matter involved removal of filling and res toration of the riverine area of River Zuari and landfill ing it would be prudent to direct the Respondent to carry out restoration work under the supervision of the Captain of Ports, Goa State Biodiversity and Ex pert Member GCZMA.”
