Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Following sharp criticism from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over failure to control unauthorised jetty operations, State authorities have initiated action by directing the immediate closure of all jetties functioning without valid approvals along Goa’s coastline.
In an order dated February 18, Sachin Desai, Director of Environment and Member Secretary of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), instructed the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Bardez to promptly seal all jetties operating without the necessary clearances.
The directive makes it clear that such jetties will not be permitted to resume activities unless they obtain mandatory approvals under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regulations. Authorities have been asked to submit a compliance report within 48 hours.
The development comes less than a month after the NGT strongly criticised the GCZMA for what it described as an indifferent approach towards violations.
The Tribunal was hearing a petition filed by Dikshay Phadte, who had alleged that multiple jetties were operating without required CRZ permissions.
During the hearing, the NGT expressed displeasure over the regulator’s failure to halt operations of six identified illegal jetties. It emphasised that operations should have been stopped immediately and warned that continued delay could lead to monetary penalties against the authority.
The Tribunal observed that merely issuing show-cause notices did not amount to compliance with its previous orders, underscoring that decisive enforcement action was required.
In his plea, Phadte highlighted concerns about environmental damage and regulatory breaches caused by unapproved jetty operations along ecologically sensitive coastal stretches.
The issue of unchecked jetty activity has surfaced repeatedly in recent years, with environmental groups and local residents raising alarms over its potential impact on fragile coastal ecosystems. However, it was only after the NGT’s stern warning and the prospect of financial penalties that authorities moved to take concrete steps by ordering the sealing of unauthorised structures.
