A controversial property development on Vagator beach has triggered legal and environmental concerns, with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL WP 1638/2025) currently being heard before the High Court of Bombay at Goa. Filed by concerned citizens, the PIL challenges ongoing construction activity within a notified No Development Zone (NDZ), raising serious allegations of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations and ecological degradation along this protected coastal stretch.
The matter was last heard on August 4, and the court has scheduled the next hearing for August 25, directing the State government and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to file their responses. Petitioners have criticised the respondents' move to dismiss the PIL as time-barred, arguing instead that the violations are recent and ongoing in nature.
A site inspection by the GCZMA on June 3, 2025, confirmed significant physical alterations within a surveyed plot in Anjuna village. Findings included the creation of a 5.5-metre-wide access road using aggregates, construction of a loose rubble stone protection wall, and a metal bridge erected over a natural drain (nala). Coordinates and visual evidence from the site place these developments within 200 metres of the High Tide Line — squarely within the CRZ-III NDZ, where permanent structures are prohibited under the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2011. Official land records identify the site, measuring approximately 4,675 square metres, as being registered to a private construction firm.
In a parallel revelation, a response received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the Forest Department confirmed that the area in question overlaps with an officially recognised turtle nesting site. The department noted that the location remains under active ecological supervision, particularly during the nesting season, due to its environmental sensitivity.
Residents and environmental activists have expressed alarm over the damage already inflicted on the fragile ecosystem. Eyewitness accounts describe the removal of over 40 truckloads of sand and dune vegetation from the site.
Reported impacts include the levelling of natural dunes, destruction of native plant species, and the use of non-eco-friendly materials such as limestone—typically banned in coastal conservation zones. Activists fear that these changes could pave the way for further commercialisation, permanently altering the character of one of Goa’s most ecologically significant beach areas.
While developers claim the work is limited to cleaning and fencing under GCZMA supervision, activists and observers question the scale of the interventions and the lack of transparent regulatory approvals.