Team Herald
PANJIM: In its affidavit filed in the High Court of Bombay at Goa, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has stated that a number of beach shacks erected at Calangute and Candolim beaches were discharging sewage and waste water in the open and causing environmental pollution.
The GSPCB stated that it inspected as many as 167 shacks erected at Calangute and Candolim beach stretch and found that only nine shacks had valid consent to operate orders while, 100 shack operators has applied for consent to operate after the GSPCB issued show cause notices to them.
Also 58 shacks had no valid consent to operate as required under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1981 and the Board is in the process of issuing directions to close these shacks.
In the affidavit submitted by the GSPCB member secretary Sanjeev Joglekar stated that during inspection it was found that number of shacks were discharging sewage and waste water in the open and it was causing environmental pollution in the vicinity. They were immediately directed to stop discharging sewage and waste water in the open or underground and to submit compliance report.
The GSPCB has stated that all the defaulting beach shack operators have been issued show cause notices under section 33 (A) read with Section 25/26 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1974 and section 31 (A) read with Section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, asking them as to why beach shack operations should not be closed/suspended for operating the same without valid consent to operate from the GSPCB.
The Court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by Reuben Franco of Calangute. The Department of Tourism, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and the Water Resources Department (WRD) had already filed their inspection reports to the Court. The WRD had found 23 borewells illegally and unauthorisedly installed at Candolim Beach and most of them had been sealed. Adv Rohit Bras De Sa is arguing on behalf of the petitioner.
During the hearing, the Division Bench asked why no action has been initiated against 58 shacks operating without obtaining the consent to operate from the GSPCB and posted the matter for Tuesday, asking both, the Department of Tourism and the GSPCB to inform what action are they going to initiate against such illegally operating shacks.