Team Herald
MARGAO: In a significant boost to those opposing the double tracking project in the State, the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday admitted the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by Goencho Ekvott (GE) and Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) against the State government, South Western Railway (SWR), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) and seven other authorities.
The HC has fixed the next date of hearing to June 5, 2023, while notices have been sent to the 10 respondents, which also includes the Mormugao Deputy Collector, the Water Resources Department (WRD), State Disaster Management Authority, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) etc.
The petition has been filed to challenge the ‘ultra vires of Section 11 of the Railways Act, 1989, for being inconsistent, arbitrary, unconstitutional, and detrimental to the provisions contained in the Environment Protection Act, 1986’.
The petition has also been filed against ‘the arbitrary action of respondent SWR and RVNL in damaging the culvert, blocking of a stream, which acts as a tributary of River Sal as well as blocking of the storm water drain by dumping of mud, without any plan or proper drain management, which will leave Velsao and surrounding villages prone to flooding’.
SWR has already initiated the land acquisition proceedings via the Mormugao Dy Collector office and has been pushing ahead with the railway expansion work despite opposition from locals.
