The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednes day came down heavily on State authorities for their failure to act against illegal structures mush rooming along the Baga Sinquerim beach stretch, issuing notices to 13 de partments and local bodies for dereliction of duty and ecological neglect. Notices were served on the State government, North Goa Collector, Bar dez Deputy Collector and Mamlatdar, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, Directorate of Vigilance, Department of Tourism, Directorate of Set tlement and Land Records, Goa Coastal Zone Man agement Authority (GCZ MA), Goa State Pollution Control Board, Calangute police station and the Can dolim and Calangute village panchayats. The Court directed all respondents to submit affidavits with the latest photographs detailing the current condition of the beaches and the number of structures standing, before the next hearing on January 21, 2026.
The order came in response to a writ petition filed by Menino Fernandes of Sauntawado, Calangute, who alleged that authorities had arbitrarily demolished his structure while turning a blind eye to numerous other illegal estab lishments operating on the same beach stretch. Fernandes contended that such selective action amounted to a vio lation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before law and prohibits arbitrary state action. The petition accused government agencies of ignoring rampant violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, despite repeated court directives. Fernandes pointed out that illegal shacks, guesthouses, spas and massage par lours continue to operate on government and public land without permission, causing irreparable harm to the frag ile coastal ecosystem. He alleged that after a previous High Court order on March 19, 2024, directing inspections and demolition of unauthorised constructions, several structures were only temporarily dismantled to feign compliance, and later re-erected in the same spots. “This pattern of removal and re-erection is a deliberate attempt to circumvent judicial orders and mislead the court,” the petition stated. Fernandes said he had served a legal notice on May 21, 2025, detailing the violations and demanding immediate action, but none of the concerned authorities responded or acted. The continued inaction, he said, reflects “a callous disregard for environmental laws, court orders and public interest,” depriving citizens of their right to access beaches in their natural state. Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, appearing for the petition er, told the court that despite explicit demolition orders, “many of the structures were re-erected while the peti tioner was targeted selectively.” The court has now sought detailed affidavits with photographic evidence from all re spondents to clarify the current status of the beaches and explain what action, if any, has been taken to remove the illegal structures. The Baga–Sinquerim coastal belt is among Goa’s most fre quented tourist zones, drawing thousands of visitors each year. The petition argues that the unchecked commercial encroachments not only damage the coastline’s ecology but also erode public trust in governance and the rule of law.
