PANJIM: A Division Bench of the High Court of Bombay at Goa comprising Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Prithviraj Chavan has directed Old Goa Police to submit a report on the illegal land filling along the Ribandar-Merces Road. The next hearing, on the contempt petition filed by Adv Aires Rodrigues over inaction of the authorities to the dumping of debris and garbage along the road, has been adjourned to July 16.
The HC has also directed Merces Panchayat to produce particulars of all complaints made in the last two years to the Police over the illegal dumping of debris and garbage in the fields.
The Court directions came after Rodrigues submitted photographs of construction debris and garbage dumped long a 900 mtr stretch on the Ribandar-Merces road in tenanted fields belonging to the Comunidade of Merces.
He submitted to the Court that in violation of law, business establishments, shops and huts have been set up by illegally filling the fields with construction debris and garbage while the authorities have been looking the other way.
Rodrigues further submitted that Merces panchayat was bound to ensure that electricity and water connections illegally given to the unlawful premises are disconnected and fields restored to their original position.
