Team Herald
PANJIM: The five-member committee appointed by the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday submitted its inspection report concluding that the disputed property of Bondvoll lake indeed forms a part of a local water body.
“The property in question definitely forms a part of the water body. The water body consists of an earthen dam about 12.14 meters height over the deepest bed level with a submergence of about 9.365 Hamts. The structure had also a side channel spillway to release the excess water in the nullah downstream,” the report states.
The inspection report adds, “Over the years PWD and WRD have been assisting comunidades to maintain the dam. The pitching has been redone and sluice valves repaired. Presently the sluice valves have been damaged and the reservoir is not able to fill to its full reservoir level hence the committee was not able to mark the actual submergence to FRL or MWL at site.”
The committee has suggested that the pristine water body should be maintained stating that the maintenance of the earthen bund requires technical expertise and comunidade may not be in a position to maintain the same.
“This is a pristine water body and tourism activities could be encouraged like boating to spur up the revenue which could be generated for maintaining the dam while fresh water could be taken up under the scheme of blue revolution of the government of India,” the committee suggests.
The court had given the committee eight weeks to submit a report of the inspection. Nigel Da Costa Frias, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, had specified the survey numbers which form part of the area of the lake, but the Advocate General informed the court that the water body extends to other survey numbers as well.
The division bench comprising Justice F M Reis and Justice Nutan D Sardessai had issued the order in view of rival contentions about the existence (or otherwise) of a water body (Bondvoll lake) in the disputed property in St Cruz-Bambolim. St Cruz resident Arturo D’Souza had filed a public interest litigation alleging that the disputed property is part of the Bondvoll lake.
