Team Herald
MARGAO: In connection with the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum (CCCF) over the non-completion of the Colva Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP), the High Court (HC) of Bombay at Goa has issued notices to the Tourism
Department and Sewerage and Infrastructure Development Corporation of Goa (SIDCGI).
In the show cause notices that were issued to the Director of Tourism Nikhil Dessai and the Managing Director (MD) of SIDCGL, Amar Vazirani, they were asked why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for failing to comply with the order to make the STP operational by the extended date of March 31, 2022.
The division bench comprising Justices M S Sonak and R N Laddha asked these two parties to file their replies within 10 days’ time.
It may be recalled that this extension was granted by the State government on January 24, 2022.
“Today, we are informed that neither such construction is complete in all respects nor has an application been filed for extension of time. In terms of our earlier orders, the Director of Tourism and the Sewerage Corporation were
responsible for the
completion of the above works,” said the bench at
the hearing.
In March 2021, the HC had directed the State government to complete the setting up of the STP and had given it time then, until June 2021 to make the plant fully operational in order to put an end to the discharge of untreated sewage into Colva creek.
“In the meantime, the authorities are expected to undertake the works with utmost dispatch so that the sewerage treatment plant is complete and operational at the earliest. The issue of contempt will be examined independently,’ the bench added in their order.
