CANACONA: With the Deputy Collector (Canacona) and Deputy Collector – demolitions (South), not acting on the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, to demolish the illegal tourism structure near the Olive Ridley Turtle Rehabilitation site at Galgibaga coast, the violators have carried on their tourism activities for one more year, as each authority keeps passing the buck to the other.
The NGT-Pune order also states that the deputy collector is to file a report on the scheduled date and the matter is fixed for May 5.
Poinguinkarancho Ekvott which is fighting to preserve the Galgibaga turtle nesting site exclusively for the procreation of the fast dwindling and protected Olive Ridley turtles, has voiced serious doubts about the government’s commitments to set up and maintain the site.
This suspicion arises because despite the March 17, order of the NGT (Western Zone) Pune, which directed the Deputy Collector, South Goa, to remove all temporary or permanent structures whichever were found on stretches of prohibited areas of turtle nesting sites, with the help of police during relevant period and ensure that the area is not disturbed by the activities of tourists.
In the case filed by Poinguinkarancho Ekvott (PE) over mushrooming of illegal tourism structures at the turtle nesting protection site on Galgibaga-Talpona coastal belt, the NGT has also asked to take up the work of channelling in order to protect the beach area in question and till such work is completed, the area is to be protected by fixing bamboo barricade around the site.
Poinguinkarancho Ekvott claims that as per NGT directives, concerned order copies were served by them to deputy collector-demolitions (South) and deputy collector (Canacona), simultaneously, with three other previous NGT orders related to their plaint against illegalities on Galgiabga coast, but neither has responded in the matter and have given ample time to the violators carrying out illegal tourism trade to complete yet another tourism season without being affected.
Poinguinkarancho Ekvott functionaries state that illegalities are being committed openly, whereby even the area already under acquisition process is being encroached and tourism activities are being carried out, giving little respect to the law of the land.
The ground reality is that nothing has moved at the authorities-level, and the other respondents including CRZ, Tourism department and local panchayat body, have remained equally non-committal on any action as per the NGT order.
