Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) organizing Secretary Durgadas Kamat in a complaint to NGT has pointed out that illegal destruction of mangroves has been reported in Survey No 188/1 near Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, without any permission from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).
The complainant has requested that the government be directed to file an FIR against the Sarpanch of the Goltim-Navelim (Piedade) Panchayat Prasad Harmalkar for issuing No Objection Certificate to a private party for carrying out tourism related activities.
“I would like to bring to your kind attention that Survey Number 188/1 is right opposite the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Chorao, which is a protected area. Cutting of mangroves here would clearly affect the ecology of sensitive areas. The owner of the Survey Number 118/1 had not only cut several mangroves in name of cleaning but he has actually removed the whole protected mangrove cover,” Kamat said. The complaint copy has also been forwarded to Environment Minister Alina Saldanha.
