Team Herald
PANJIM: From north to south, almost every beach in Goa that serves as a nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles, seems to be under siege. Days after a trance music festival was cancelled on Dream Beach in Vagator, 67 business establishments operating illegally have been documented on Agonda beach – both beaches are seasonal havens for the turtles.
The latest update on Agonda was submitted to the Bombay High Court at Goa on Monday during the hearing of a PIL writ petition filed by Aman Gupta. The State government, in its submission to the Court, revealed that the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) had identified these 67 establishments and issued show cause notices to them for their illegal operations.
The Court, while adjourning the hearing to next week, directed the government authorities to expedite the process of disposing of the show
cause notices.
The petitioner argued that no structures should be allowed near the turtle nesting site at Agonda Beach, citing the importance of protecting the delicate environment. However, Advocate General Devidas Pangam clarified that no structures have been permitted within the nesting site itself. Pangam stated that the structures in question were built on the landward side of the beach, an area considered to have beach carrying capacity as per the 2017 report, and are therefore permissible by law.
Further, AG Pangam explained that certain structures had been authorized under legal provisions, while the 67 establishments identified by the GCZMA had not received such permissions.
Show cause notices were issued to these establishments for operating without the necessary clearance.
In the previous hearing, the High Court had directed the GCZMA to take action against the business establishments built near the protected turtle nesting site. The petitioner had argued that the area was declared a No Development Zone (NDZ) and highlighted concerns over the impact of illegal constructions. Additionally, the petitioner pointed out that the 82,000 square meters of beach area in question was marked as a turtle nesting site, with Agonda Beach having zero carrying capacity.
Advocate Vivek Rodrigues is representing the petitioner in the case. The next hearing is scheduled for next week.