PANJIM: A group of activists alleging interference by politicians, builders and vested interests to convert illegal structures in the restricted zone to legal, have filed a PIL in the High Court of Bombay at Goa against the draft CRZ notification 2018.

In their objection against the notification filed before the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Kashinath Shetye and other petitioners alleged that the draft has been prepared ‘unscrupulously and for vested interests’ without taking the views of activists and concerned citizens and only by taking into consideration the interests of politicians and ministers and project proponents and builders to help them to convert illegal constructions in the CRZ areas into legal ones.

The authority concerned had stated that based on the representations received from various coastal States and Union Territories and other stake holders, including recommendations made by the Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr Shailesh Nayak, MoEFCC issued the Draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2018 for comments/suggestions from all concerned. 

The petitioners claimed that their main objection to the draft CRZ notification applies to the reduction of land area from HTL to 50 meters instead of 100 metres from HTL and that it should apply to land area between HTL and 100 meters.

They have sought a public hearing wherein all parties/stakeholders will be heard before the CRZ Draft Notification 2018 is notified and implemented. “We may be given special opportunity to be heard on the various points of objections raised by us in this representation/objection. Alternatively, the said CRZ Draft Notification 2018 be withdrawn or quashed and the existing one be followed,” Shetye said, referring to the objections filed before the ministry.