Team Herald
PANJIM: The Vainguinim Valley Residents Association (VVRA) criticised the authorities for failing to do their job as far as protecting the Vainguinim Beach is concerned in spite of repeated letters they have sent to all the government departments concerned.
At a press conference held on Saturday, they have demanded that the concrete wall that had been constructed be removed immediately.
They have accused all the authorities of employing delaying tactics, during which time the environment has already been damaged, instead of being protected by the authorities. Ahead of the inspection to be carried out on Monday, June 28, which incidentally will be the third inspection since April, the local residents have demanded that it takes note of the Coastal Regulation Zone violations that have happened on account of the construction of the wall and how it also violated the permission granted for only repair work of a gadga wall.
It is to be noted that following the complaints they had raised about the scope of the third inspection as per the notice issued by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), as it had ignored the findings of GCZMA’s own expert committee at the previous inspection, GCZMA issued a corrigendum to their inspection notice. This states that the inspection being conducted by the Superintendent of Survey and Land Records (DSLR) under the chairmanship of Additional Collector-1 North along with Water Resources Department Chief Engineer and that it has asked DSLR representatives to plot the alleged illegal structure along with the necessary plan.
The residents have also raised objections to other alleged irregularities, against which, another set of complaints have been filed.
The VVRA has vowed to continue to fight for the public’s right to access the beach as per the law.
Furthermore, the residents received a reply to its RTI applications that was filed with the Tourism Department that confirm what the locals have been saying all along, that it is a public beach and has to be treated as such.
