This order has come as a big relief to the Zuari locals, who have been agitating against the installation of the towers for the past few days.
A villager Agnel Fernandes, who is leading the agitation, told Herald that the Zuari locals are opposing the towers since these are coming up in residential areas and the radiation caused will be harmful to the health of the residents.
“Further, the decision to grant license to the towers was taken hastily by the panchayat authorities, without taking the locals into confidence,” Fernandes said.
“Since the radiation of the towers would have a major implication on the health of the residents it was the duty of the panchayat authorities to first inform the locals before granting license,” said another villager, while demanding that the panchayat should immediately withdraw the licenses granted for installation of the towers.
The villagers also demanded that the panchayat should convene a special gram sabha to resolve the issue.
When contacted, Goa Velha Sarpanch Jagdish Bhobe said that the panchayat issued license to the installation of the towers based on the NOC issued by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).
“The GSPCB is the technical authority to grant license in such cases,” Bhobe said. “If the pollution board authorities withdraw licenses for the towers, only then will the panchayat be in a position to subsequently withdraw its licences.”
“If the panchayat withdraws the licenses issued on its own then the party concerned can take the panchayat to the court,” said Bhobe, while citing a 2007 case wherein the panchayat decision to withdraw license to a mobile tower
was overruled by higher
authorities.
