PANJIM: Beach shack operators heaved a major sigh of relief as the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday set aside the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) staying the Beach Shack Policy 2019-22. The bench also directed Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority to finalise the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) at the earliest.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Mahesh Sonak observed that the temporary structures made of eco-friendly material do not prove damaging to the environment. The observation was made in view of the government and GCZMA’s submission that as per the CRZ notification the shacks are made of wood, bamboo and palm leaves, which are not damaging to the ecology. The authorities also submitted that all environmental issues have been suitably addressed in the notification.
While disposing the petitions filed by the government and Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society challenging NGT’s order, the bench further asked the authorities to meet the deadline of the NGT in finalising the CZMP.
With this order, the Shack Policy has come into force and the allotment process that began last week is also set to be completed shortly. During the hearing on September 30, the High Court had granted partial relief to the stakeholders, by allowing the government to start the allotment process, but not make any actual allotment until further orders.
Shack Owners Association’s president Cruz Cardozo hailed the decision of the High Court. In a brief interaction with the media after the verdict he said, “We cannot blame the State government as the shack policy was already in place. It would be a very big loss for us if the High Court would have not lifted the NGT stay order. The tourist season has already started and this is a good decision of the High Court. Tourism Department has to expedite the procedure of shack allotment,” he said.
