Team Herald
CALANGUTE: A day after 25 illegal houses were flattened at Lala ki Basti in Tivim, the Public Works Department (PWD) on Wednesday demolished 33 unauthorised shops in Nerul, including a fish market near the Nerul-Candolim bridge, following directions from the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
Police personnel were present at the site to ensure law and order.
PWD Assistant Engineer Carmino Mascarenhas, who supervised the demolition, said “The land belongs to the State government and had been acquired for road widening. There is a High Court order to demolish the illegal structures. The Collector had issued demolition notices to the persons who had put up the structures and we had informed them a year ago.”
“In January the Collector had got notices published in newspapers that the structures would be demolished, but the occupants had sought some time to remove the structures. Since they failed to remove the structures, the Collector directed the PWD to clear the same,” he said.
Mascarenhas said, “The traffic obstruction and resulting accidents were due to people parking and shopping on the road. Some of the shops had been there for over a decade.”
Among the demolished establishments was a large shed used as a fish market, reportedly erected by a former sarpanch, according to vendors. Wholesale fish shops, popular restaurants and fast food outlets, and vegetable stalls were also among those demolished.
Locals expressed concern, stating, “Many traditional fisherfolk and vegetable farmers relied on this space. Where will they go now? The shed protected them from the elements.”
“We respect the High Court order, but we’re traditional fishermen and when we go out to sea we find large trawlers doing bull-trawling and other illegal fishing activities despite there being High Court orders, but nobody is taking action against them,” a local said.
“There are so many constructions in the CRZ no-development zone in Nerul and in the fields, and there are High Court orders against them, but nothing is being done,” another local claimed.