PANJIM, APRIL 23
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has asked M/s Saravati Builders not to proceed with the construction work at Dabolim and the Environmental Clearance issued for the project in January this year, has been kept in abeyance until further orders from the ministry.
In a communiqué to the promoters, Goa environment ministry and Pollution Control Board, MoEF has said that it has responded to a copy of the writ petition filed in the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
Three main issues have been raised in the writ petition which are: (i) Whether the entire project area is a private forest land, (ii) whether the cutting of hill slopes on such a gradient more than 25% is not permissible as per Town and Country Planning Rules and (iii) Whether the steeply sloping terrain which will see tree cutting, is ecologically sensitive area as per the Committee on identifying parameters for designing ecological sensitive in India
Stating that the above issues are important and require detailed re-examination of the project, MoEF directed the firm not to proceed for the construction of group housing till a detailed examination of all the issues raised in the Writ petition are re-examined by the Expert Appraisal Committee / Ministry.
Besides, MoEF further made ordered keeping in abeyance the environmental clearance issued by the ministry on January 11 this year until the final decision on the issue is taken by the ministry. The order is issued by MoEF’s Director (Impact Assessment)
Meanwhile, Goa Bachao Abhiyaan (GBA), an umbrella organisation representing more than a dozen planned development-oriented NGOs, has hailed the order of MoEF keeping in abeyance the environmental clearance given to it earlier and ordering stay on the construction work.
The GBA has demanded a thorough ground reality check of the forest and the hills that are set to be destroyed for the project.
In the meantime GBA and Save our Slopes have petitioned the government to institute an enquiry into “the illegal permissions” given under the ‘Deemed’ Clause and to fix responsibility and take punitive action against the erring officers.
Mr Edwin Mascarenhas from SOS made a detailed presentation on the lapses of the authorities before the Secretary of TCP Mr Yadhuvanshi in the presence of Chief Town Planner Mr Morad Ahmad and other senior town planners at the meeting between the authorities and GBA with village groups to discuss violations in the State.
The order comes in the wake of a writ filed by Goa Foundation and Mr Edwin Mascarenhas against Saravati Builders in which Ministry of Environment and Forest is also a respondent.
In a communiqué to the promoters, Goa environment ministry and Pollution Control Board, MoEF has said that it has responded to a copy of the writ petition filed in the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
