Team Herald 

PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has disposed a public interest litigation filed by NGO Goa Foundation and a local challenging GCZMA approval for construction of 16 wooden chalets within the 200 metre NDZ at Vagator. 

The Court disposed the PIL after the Advocate General Dttaprasad Lawande submitted to the Court the GCZMA order dated September 17, 2018 directing demolition of the huts. As per the petitioners, GCZMA had initially refused permission to W Hotels, owned by Diana Buildwell, to construct 15 wooden chalets at Anjuna Beach. As per the policy, only one shack is permitted per hotel and since this application was made for the hotel it was refused. 

It was alleged that Buildwell then recruited a local villager to file the application under the Beach Carrying Capacity Report filed by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) for construction of the same number of chalets on the hotel’s land.

“Surprisingly, GCZMA decided to grant the permission to Krishna Parab. The project was the exactly the same as earlier rejected, and for same number of wooden chalets. It transpired that there was an MOU signed between Krishna Parab and Diana Buildwell, ostensibly for dividing the profits between the two. Krishna Parab would pay the hotel Rs10 per sq mt per month for the land used for the cottages. Parab would also pay the hotel 50 percent of the hotel tariff from customers,” the petition by Goa Foundation’s Director Claude Alvares and Vagator resident Sagardeep Sirsaikar stated. 

Anjuna villagers found construction of the wooden chalets had commenced in October 2017 which alerted them. Eventually, complaints were filed with the National Green Tribunal. Thereafter, Goa Foundation decided to intervene, as CRZ regulations do not permit residential structures for purpose of tourists in the 200 metre NDZ. Accordingly, complaint was filed with the GCZMA challenging the approval and the NGO also moved the High Court with a PIL.

The GCZMA decided to withdraw its approval granted to Parab and directed him to demolish the chalets already constructed. The High Court thereafter recorded that principle grievance of the petitioners was met and decided to dispose of the PIL in terms of the GCZMA order.