AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
With sand mining continuing unabated despite the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) not granting a single approval, The Goa River Sand Protectors Network on Monday filed its fourth contempt petition, this time against the Captain of Ports for allegedly failing to act against unreg istered canoes and boats engaged in illegal sand extraction. Despite clear directives from the Supreme Court of India and a ban imposed by the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court, illegal sand mining continues in the State. The question being raised is why an ac tivity expressly prohibited by the courts is still being allowed. Environmentalists argue that ensuring the availability of manufactured sand (M-sand) would be the gov ernment’s first meaningful step towards curbing the illegal trade. A source in the Ministry of Environment said the Govern ment of Goa has sought Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) relaxations from the Centre to permit controlled sand mining along its riv erbanks but has received no response so far The Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines (SSMG), 2016, issued by the Ministry of Environment, For est and Climate Change, lay down a regulatory framework for sand extraction, emphasising ecological protection, river equilibrium and sustainable sourcing, including the promotion of alternatives such as M-sand. Advocate Viraj Bakre of the Goa River Sand Protectors Network, the NGO which has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (GSEIAA), said the failure to make M-sand readily available has enabled illegal mining to flourish. “When a person starts building a house, he wants to finish it. He will not concern himself with how the sand is sourced as long as construction continues. The govern ment’s failure to procure and supply M-sand from other states has allowed illegal mining in Goa,” Bakre said. The NGO has challenged the provisional Environmen tal Clearance (EC) granted by GSEIAA to the Department of Mining for sand extraction without first obtaining CRZ clearance from GCZMA. Although three contempt petitions have already been filed over the continuation of illegal mining, the fourth petition seeks to hold the Captain of Ports accountable for allegedly failing to implement directions issued by the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court in Contempt Petition (CP) 112/2025 dated October 15, 2025. The High Court had directed that canoes and boats used for illegal extraction of sand be seized by flying squads and thereafter confiscated, and that the registration of such vessels be cancelled by the Captain of Ports. In the matter before the NGT, Bakre clarified that the ap peal challenges the provisional EC granted without prior CRZ clearance. “The GCZMA was not initially made a party to the case. We were later directed by the NGT to amend our petitionand include them,” he said. The controversy dates back to 2024 when the Mining De partment applied to GSEIAA for Environmental Clearance. Documents accessed by O Heraldo show that in December 2024, GSEIAA granted EC with the explicit condition that restraint during the agitation. Appealing directly to the Leader of the Opposition, he said, “The Leader of the Opposition knows the law and the proper way to uphold it. I urge him to maintain deco rum. He should remember that the minister whose house he marched to is also a colleague, and the security of that minister’s family is a major concern for the police.” CURCHOREM VILLAGERS MARCH TO PANJIM, OPPOSE JETTY PLAN The recommendation is subject to compliance with ex tensive ecological and biodiversity safeguards. However, residents fear that the proposed infrastructure could pave the way for coal transportation through their villages, intensifying environmental degradation and dis rupting local livelihoods. A delegation led by BJP Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral met GSEIAA officials, contending that the project report is flawed, lacks proper site access and has been objected to by the local panchayat. Speaking to reporters, Cabral said they had demanded that the project be scrapped and urged the panchayat to convene an extraordinary meeting to appoint a six-mem ber committee to submit its representation to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). “We will prove that the SEIAA committee has submitted a false report,” he alleged. Cabral said, “Then environment minister Aleixo Sequei ra had assured me on the floor of the State Assembly that the project would not be considered. I will now write to the Assurance Committee in my capacity as an MLA to seek clarity and action on that assurance.” Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Patkar, who also participated in the protest, criticised the state government for granting permission to the pro ject. He suggested that Cabral call the Chief Minister and ask him to scrap the proposal. However, Cabral responded that such a step was unnecessary and instead urged Patkar to support the villagers opposing the project. Villagers, meanwhile, framed their objections in ecologi cal terms, questioning the credibility of the environmental assessment. A villager said fresh objections to the project had been submitted and officially acknowledged. “Our team will meet the SEAC committee and discuss the matter, but un der no circumstances will we allow this project to come up in our area. Today’s protest was mild. If they come to the site, we will not allow them,” he warned. Questioning the environmental assessment, another vil lager said the report claimed there were no mangroves in the area. “On what basis has this claim been made? Was any physical survey conducted, or is the report based on hearsay? Anyone can see the mangroves even on Google. Are those in high positions unaware of what mangroves look like? There are thousands of coconut trees here. Will they be cut down for the sake of this project?” he asked. Another resident cautioned the government against testing the patience of the villagers. “The justification giv en is that minerals will be loaded at the jetty, but it is not clear what will be unloaded there. The report mentions a multi-cargo jetty. Our village is known for its hills and greenery. When the sarpanch, Zilla Panchayat chairperson, MLA and the government are all from the same party, why is there a push for a project that people do not want?” he questioned. Despite assurances of compliance with environmen tal safeguards, residents said the project reflects a larger pattern of infrastructure proposals being advanced in eco logically sensitive riverine belts, triggering repeated citi zen-led protests across the State. The villagers later called off their peaceful protest after authorities asked a six-member delegation to return on Friday. They said they would submit evidence alleging in accuracies in the project report and continue to demand that the proposed Curchorem jetty project be scrapped. CRZ clearance must first be obtained from GCZMA before any work could commence. An advocate associated with GSEIAA, speaking on condi tion of anonymity, said the order clearly stated that mining could begin only after CRZ clearance was secured. “There may have been an oversight or misunderstanding, which eventually led to the matter being taken to the NGT,” the advocate said. Authorities maintain that the Department of Mining nev er began sand extraction. However, the Goa River Sand Pro tectors Network approached the NGT challenging the grant of Environmental Clearance itself. A government counsel said the penalty imposed on GCZ MA was not for granting permission but due to a proce dural lapse that was acknowledged during the latest NGT hearing. In other states, construction sand is typically sourced from non-CRZ areas. “There are dry riverbeds in parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala from where sand is ex tracted. Goa’s situation is different because most of its riv ers have flowing water, and sand is extracted directly from them,” said Biju, a supplier who transports sand to Goa from a neighbouring state. Dr D’Souza, from a sand mining belt in North Goa, said Goa must decide whether it wants sand without illegal mining or illegal sand through continued violations. “The solution lies in adopting and strictly implementing the SSMG 2016,” he said.
