Team Herald
MARGAO: The The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Western Zone, has admitted a petition that questions the legality of nine jetties operating close to the Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Chorao along the Mandovi River.
Filed by two environmentalists, Dikshay Phadte and Ajit Volvoikar, the petition targets the Captain of Ports, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), and five other respondents. The petition seeks a declaration that jetties intended for non-fishing purposes cannot be permitted in tidal water bodies designated as fish breeding areas or ecologically sensitive zones under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of 2011.
The petitioners have also urged the tribunal to direct authorities to bar the setting up of such jetties within CRZ areas in Goa’s fishing villages. They further pressed for the preparation of a Zonal Master Plan to safeguard the eco-sensitive zone surrounding the bird sanctuary. At the preliminary hearing held recently, the NGT bench comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr Vijay Kulkarni ordered that all nine jetty landowners must be added as respondents within a week. According to the bench, including the landowners in the case is crucial to ensure that appropriate reliefs can be granted, such as prohibiting any commercial activity on these jetties unless specifically allowed under current regulations.
Drawing attention to Clause 3 of the CRZ Notification, the petitioners' counsel further argued that coastal construction is restricted only to facilities essential for fishing and related activities. They contended that the nine jetties, identified as A to I in maps placed before the tribunal, are being used for commercial operations that breach the permitted uses outlined in the CRZ rules.