Vasco: The Mormugao mamlatdar office started service notices to 100 hutments at Kattem Baina shore asking them to vacate within 15 days or face demolition.
The notices are served on the directions of Goa Coastal Zone ManagementAuthority (GCZMA). These houses are said to be under threat during monsoons for a couple of years now.
This is the last stretch to be demolished.
If in 15 days they are not demolished, the state government machinery will go ahead with razing down these illegal hutments, states a notice issued by the concenred authorities.
In its notice that was signed by GCZMA member secretary Agnelo Fernandes and was served to the residents on Thursday morning by three different teams constituted by the Mormugao Mamlatdar, the GZCMA have asked the residents to vacate their hutments.
The affected parties have been directed to submit a compliance report in the respect of compliance of directions to GCZMA within next three days of the expiry of the 15 days time period.
According to the demolition order, it has been mentioned that, the GCZMA after going through all records and documents submitted by the affected parties, including the objections filed by the advocate of petitioners and after giving personal hearing to them, the GCZMA concluded that the documents submitted by the parties were irrelevant and do not pertain to the structures in question. It was also mentioned in the order that the mere issuance of house numbers by the local body does not establish that the structures were legal in terms of CRZ notification 1991 and 2011.
“The authorities also noted that all the structures in question have been identified by the deputy collector and SDO Mormugao who is empowered to take cognizance of violations such as constructions, mushrooming in CRZ area within his jurisdiction and the checklist and sketch submitted by the Mormugao Mamlatdar though Deputy Collector clearly depicts that all the structures are located towards the seaward side and hence such constructions have to be demolished to restore the ecology and environment of the area” GCZMA order says.
Therefore, the GCZMA member secretary using his powers under section 5 of Environment (Protection) act 1986(central act 29 of 1986) read with sub rule (3) (a) of rule 4 of the Environment (protection) rules 1986, and read with power vested with GCZMA directed the occupants to demolish entire illegal hut/hutments/structures identified and restore the land to its original condition within 15 days time.
Meanwhile when the Mormugao Mamlatdar was asked to clarify as to how the number of structures that was identified as 121 structures in past and how demolition notices were given to only 100 occupants, Mamlatdar Satish prabhu informed that “As per the check list, the number of structures were identified as 121 out of which four structures got washed away naturally during monsoons in past and after re-verification it was found that the few occupants were having two structures in their name and thus the total tally of affected parties have now come down to 100 and GCZMA’s order-cum-notices have been served to them,” he told.
