Eighteen days after theO Heraldoreport, “Illegal Vagator bar rebuilds after every demolition” (dated July 19, 2025), an officer from the Revenue Department of the Department of Tourism, along with four policemen and demolition staff, went to demolish the illegal construction by Romeo Lane on Wednesday morning but returned with the work half done — leaving locals to believe, “it was just another farce.”
“The staff had gone to demolish the structures on the beach but were unable to finish the work. They will go back on Friday or on Monday to complete the work of demolition,” assured Kedar Naik, Director of Tourism.
Locals are, however, not ready to believe the Director of Tourism, as the bar has on two occasions been rebuilt after demolition. It is only after the court is approached or the press has reported the illegality that action is taken, they say.
“We received a call from the Department of Tourism around 11 am on Wednesday asking for staff. I deputed four policemen who returned around 5 pm,” confirmed Anjuna Police Inspector Suraj Gawas.
The inability to demolish the illegal structure within the time span confirmed by the Anjuna police has reinforced the claim of the locals that, “the Department is trying to show that they are upholding the orders of the High Court.”
Said local Lester Fernandes: “The Tourism Department had more than half a day with them to demolish the illegal structure and yet they managed just around 10 per cent of the work. The whole exercise is a whitewash.”
“We could not get the heavy machinery down because of the inclement weather. The staff went down with whatever gear they could and because of the high tide, they had to return,” admitted Naik.
The Tide Times and Tide Chart for Goa Velha, which is a pointer to the tide times of Vagator, indicate that the shoreline on which Romeo Lane had built the illegal structure was under high tide at around 12:00 hours and mid-low tide at 15:30 hours, with wind and rains on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Roger Drago from Vagator believes that the fault lines do not just lie with the Department of Tourism but with the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) that allows people, to whom they issue permission, to build by overlooking even the Hazard Lines demarcated by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).
“The Hazard line and the High Tide Lines have been provided for by NCSCM to GCZMA and published in the 2011 Notification. It is sad that the GCZMA tends to overlook all these parameters while issuing licenses,” lamented Drago.
The GCZMA, as per records perused by O Heraldo, had in its 363rd meeting — where permission was granted to Romeo Lane — on point 27 specifically noted the following: “Structures shall not be removed and dismantled during the month of June to August provided that the facilities available in these structures shall remain non-operational during the months of June to August.”
“Romeo Lane is allowed to remain open throughout the year in gross violation of the GCZMA’s own rules. That they (GCZMA) prefer to look the other way throughout the three months demonstrates the clout of the owners and the weakness of the GCZMA officers,” observed Desmond D’Souza from Vagator.
Efforts to contact Sachin Dessai, Secretary GCZMA, proved futile till the time of going to the press.
Justice M S Karnik and Justice Valmiki Menezes, in the order of Contempt Petition No 76 of 2024 in WP No 825 of 2023 filed by petitioner Nilesh Phadte, directed, “The owner of the land, Antonio D’Souza, to pay rupees 10,97,880 to Goa State Biodiversity Board to proceed with the restoration work in accordance with the plan submitted.”
“The contract was given to the Rural Development Agency (RDA) and after removing all the concrete and clearing all the mess created, some trees were planted including some coconut plants, and the report was submitted to GCZMA and Department of Tourism. Thereafter, it is their duty to monitor any illegal construction,” stated Dr Pradip Sarmokadam, Secretary of Goa State Biodiversity Board.
“The Department of Tourism will do nothing to the illegal structures at Romeo Lane until Independence Day because big parties are expected all night everywhere in Vagator in total violation of the Supreme Court of India orders. What happened on Wednesday is a farce that will be proved beyond doubt on August 14,” predicts local fisherman Sagar Sirsaikar.
The inability to demolish the illegal structure within the time span confirmed by the Anjuna police has reinforced the claim of the locals that, “the Department is trying to show that they are upholding the orders of the High Court.”
Said local Lester Fernandes: “The Tourism Department had more than half a day with them to demolish the illegal structure and yet they managed just around 10 per cent of the work. The whole exercise is a whitewash.”
“We could not get the heavy machinery down because of the inclement weather. The staff went down with whatever gear they could and because of the high tide, they had to return,” admitted Naik.
The Tide Times and Tide Chart for Goa Velha, which is a pointer to the tide times of Vagator, indicate that the shoreline on which Romeo Lane had built the illegal structure was under high tide at around 12:00 hours and mid-low tide at 15:30 hours, with wind and rains on Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Roger Drago from Vagator believes that the fault lines do not just lie with the Department of Tourism but with the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) that allows people, to whom they issue permission, to build by overlooking even the Hazard Lines demarcated by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).
“The Hazard line and the High Tide Lines have been provided for by NCSCM to GCZMA and published in the 2011 Notification. It is sad that the GCZMA tends to overlook all these parameters while issuing licenses,” lamented Drago.
The GCZMA, as per records perused by O Heraldo, had in its 363rd meeting — where permission was granted to Romeo Lane — on point 27 specifically noted the following: “Structures shall not be removed and dismantled during the month of June to August provided that the facilities available in these structures shall remain non-operational during the months of June to August.”
“Romeo Lane is allowed to remain open throughout the year in gross violation of the GCZMA’s own rules. That they (GCZMA) prefer to look the other way throughout the three months demonstrates the clout of the owners and the weakness of the GCZMA officers,” observed Desmond D’Souza from Vagator.
Efforts to contact Sachin Dessai, Secretary GCZMA, proved futile till the time of going to the press.
Justice M S Karnik and Justice Valmiki Menezes, in the order of Contempt Petition No 76 of 2024 in WP No 825 of 2023 filed by petitioner Nilesh Phadte, directed, “The owner of the land, Antonio D’Souza, to pay rupees 10,97,880 to Goa State Biodiversity Board to proceed with the restoration work in accordance with the plan submitted.”
“The contract was given to the Rural Development Agency (RDA) and after removing all the concrete and clearing all the mess created, some trees were planted including some coconut plants, and the report was submitted to GCZMA and Department of Tourism. Thereafter, it is their duty to monitor any illegal construction,” stated Dr Pradip Sarmokadam, Secretary of Goa State Biodiversity Board.
“The Department of Tourism will do nothing to the illegal structures at Romeo Lane until Independence Day because big parties are expected all night everywhere in Vagator in total violation of the Supreme Court of India orders. What happened on Wednesday is a farce that will be proved beyond doubt on August 14,” predicts local fisherman Sagar Sirsaikar.