PANJIM: The Vainguinim Valley Residents Association (VVRA) has now pleaded with the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to impose a penalty under polluter pay principle as well as an order for the demolition of the construction and restoration of the beach to its original condition.
“We have taken notice of the two occasions wherein you have adjourned the hearings of the Show Cause Notice, from May 6 to May 20 and further from May 20 to May 27, which gave the necessary time for the construction of a concrete wall on the beach by the hotel,” said the VVRA in their letter to the GCZMA submitted, on Tuesday.
“Although, this being a sensitive environmental issue leading to the destruction of the beach with violations of the CRZ Notification, 2011 and the CRZ Notification 1991/2011, you chose to defer the hearings even though your own experts have made observations and recommendations to issue an immediate Stop Work Notice, removal of the concrete wall and nourishment with restoration of the beach to its original condition. You chose to turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the violations for reasons best known to you,” the VVRA added.
“We therefore request you to expeditiously initiate necessary action for the demolition of the wall on Vainguinim Beach in accordance with your Show Cause Notice dated April 28, 2021, which furthermore, as undertaken by the High Court on May 12, 2021, is to be disposed of within four weeks from the said date,” they added.
Advocate Pundalik Raikar pointed out that the permission the hotel is referring to was obtained from the GCZMA in the year 2017, which he said was very clear and was pertaining to the repair of a ‘gadga wall’ only and not any reconstruction. He added that the permission doesn’t mention anything about a linear wall either, given that a linear concrete wall has been constructed.
Adv Raikar further referred to the application made by the hotel dated May 11, 2017, that only sought permission for the repair of the ‘gadga wall’.
He then explained how on June 13, 2017, an expert committee conducted a site inspection of the beach, after which, a report was submitted to the GCZMA by the committee.
He further pointed out that the construction on the beach is anyway not allowed as it is a No Development Zone (NDZ) and that all these issues would be brought up in court soon.
