PANJIM: With the National Green Tribunal declaring all small and micro enterprises, operating without ‘Consent to Operate’ as illegal, the Goa State Pollution Control Board is exploring the possibility of making Consent under Air and Water Pollution (Control) Act mandatory for the beach shacks.
Based on the order, the board had issued show cause notices to 2,343 industries and 2,624 hotels to apply for consent. Just on the heels of tourism season last year, the board had also initiated special drive along the beach belts, making it mandatory for shacks and eatery operators to have consent.
The Tourism Department has decided not to give new shack licences in addition to the 337 already granted last year. The tenure of the shacks as per the beach shack policy is three years from 2013-16.
Speaking to Herald, GSPCB Chairman Jose Manual Noronha said that as per NGT’s February 2013 order, the board has no authority to exempt any industry from obtaining Consent under the Water and Air Act.
“Considering that the NGT order states that all units, including hotels and beach shacks have to obtain Consent to Operate from the Board, we are now looking into the legalities to make it mandatory for shacks to obtain the consent,” he said.
The structures being temporary, for a certain period, we will have to look into the legal aspect before taking any decision, the chairman added. At the same time, he also admitted that though the structures are for a period of six months, they result in a lot of pollution in the form of garbage and sewage.
