Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed all the concerned authorities not to permit reopening of the closed beach shacks at Calangute and Candolim beach stretches until they obtain all the mandatory permissions.
The Division bench comprising Justice Mahesh S Sonak and Justice Valmiki SA Menezes has also ordered the authorities not to allow 47 shacks to reopen after being recently granted the consent to operate.
While hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) writ petition filed by Reuben Franco, the High Court on March 29 had directed the closure of 161 shacks in the Calangute-Candolim beach stretches for allegedly operating without obtaining ‘consent to operate’ from the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
In all 10 teams led by Mamlatdars and Joint Mamlatdars from Bardez Taluka were formed to identify and serve closure notices to the erring shacks.
On Wednesday, the GSPCB Member Secretary Dr Shamila Monteiro filed an affidavit before the Court informing that of the 167 beach shacks issued closure directions. The GSPCB was in receipt of applications from 157 shack operators for grant of consent to operate under the Water and Air Act.
The Board went on to process these applications and granted consent to operate to 47 beach shacks. The condition No. 5(v) and (vi) of the consent order specifically stipulates the shack units not to commence operations without obtaining all the other necessary and relevant permissions required by it for the same for various authorities.
Citing this condition, the Court has directed all the concerned authorities not to permit opening of the closed shacks until they obtain all the mandatory permissions.
The GSPCB has meanwhile said that they will be processing the remaining applications for grant of ‘consent to operate’ as received from the shack operators/units in accordance of law and will consider the same only if the individual shack unit has put in place adequate measures for the collection and disposal of sewage generated from their respective establishments.
Meanwhile, 157 shack operators have applied for ‘Consent to Operate’ on April 4. According to the affidavit filed by the GSPCB, most of the shacks that have applied for ‘Consent to Operate’ again were found discharging waste water and sewage underground and have conveyed that they have now stopped the same.
Adv Rohit Bras de Sa argued for the petitioner while, Adv Pavitran and additional government Adv Sulekha Kamat represented the GSPCB and the government respectively.
