Team Herald
VASCO: The Office of Mormugao Deputy Collector with the help of the State machinery on Thursday demolished 34 out of total 121 illegal structures located at Katem Baina.
Last year, the office Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) though the office of the deputy collector had served demolition notices on the occupants of 121-odd structures built within the inter-tidal zone at Katem Baina.
Out of 121 structures four structures got washed away due to high tidal waves during last monsoon and 68 residents filed independent petitions before High Court of Bombay at Goa challenging GCZMA’s demolition order. Eleven independent applications were also filed before NGT Pune.
On Thursday morning, the demolition of 32 remaining structures started under heavy police protection. However, while the demolition was underway, the office of deputy collector received information that the NGT Pune Bench on Thursday morning vacated its temporary stay granted to two applicants and thus even these two structures were slotted and demolished along with 32 other structures on Thursday.
“In all, three different teams were formed and with the help of three JCBs and 50 labourers, all 34 structures were demolished by us peacefully. A total of 150 policemen, including one DySP, police inspectors, PSIs, lady police constables and constables from IRB and from South Goa police stations were deployed at the site to ensure peaceful demolition,” Deputy Collector of Mormugao Mahadev Arundekar informed Herald.
