TEAM HERALD
VASCO: They narrowly missed getting demolished by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar during his earlier stint as chief minister way back in 2004 and nearly a decade later, scores of huts involved in red-light activities still stand right on Baina beach.
These huts are not only within the CRZ limits, but many of them virtually get flooded with seawater during the high tide with every monsoon season.
Despite serving notices to over 200 huts in the area, authorities are yet to evict them from the site and the slum dwellers have refused to vacate the huts and move to safer places.
According to some locals, the seashore has been encroached upon by the migrant community who have been working with the fishermen.
“Some migrants, whose huts were demolished to make way for the four-lane highway after accepting the compensation, have constructed their huts on the seashore. Some huts have been rented out, while many other huts are being used for prostitution activities and the customers are truck drivers and cleaners who park their vehicles near the Baina Ravindra Bhavan,” a local told Herald.
“Every monsoon season, some huts get washed away and then, the migrants run to the office of the Mormugao mamlatdar and with the help of some unscrupulous councillors and politicians, manage to avail of financial benefits,” the local added.
A source at the Mormugao Deputy Collector’s office informed Herald that two years ago, all illegal huts along the seashore were issued notices and CRZ authorities had directed the deputy collector’s office to evict them.
“Although the notices were served on the migrants, they were not evicted due to political pressure,” an official told Herald.
When contacted, Mormugao Chief Officer Y B Tavde stated that the deputy collector deals with evictions and added that the MMC is ready to provide its manpower to help the deputy collector’s office evict those who have encroached on the seashore.
Speaking to Herald, Mormugao Deputy Collector Gaurish Shankwalkar stated that he had not served any eviction notices to the migrants at the Baina seashore during his tenure.
“However, if this office had served eviction notices before I took charge, we will evict those encroaching on the seashore by September, as we cannot evict them during the monsoons,” said Shankwalkar.
