Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: In order to ensure strict compliance, the High Court of Bombay in Goa has requested that the Secretary of Environment send the appropriate circulars to the Mamlatdars, Collectors, and Deputy Collectors within the next 15 days, informing them of the list of wetlands and water bodies as well as the provisions of the Wetland Rules of 2017.
In response to Mohinder Kaur Paintal’s writ suit, the Court has ordered the wetland authority established by the Wetland Rules of 2017 to monitor for violations and take preventative measures in order to ensure the restoration of these water bodies and wetlands in the State.
The Court stated that such surveys must continue in order to have precise data regarding the water bodies and wetlands, referring to Advocate General Devidas Pangam’s remark that a survey is being conducted to determine the water bodies in towns and other places in the State. By the following date, the Court must receive any list created by the Public Works Department (PWD) or the Water Resources Department (WRD).
The Court ordered the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to carry out the work of balance restoration so that the lagoon is restored to its original dimensions of 125 mtrs x 80 mtrs because the respondent Goveia Resorts/Waterfront, Siolim-Marna agreed to restore the lagoon only to the extent of 96 mtrs x 67 mtrs.
Additionally, according to the GCZMA’s order dated April 7, 2017, if the respondent disobeys, the Deputy Collector and SDO of Bardez will follow the instructions and collect the costs from the respondent as unpaid land revenue arrears.
Additionally, the respondent promised to retain the sluice gate’s construction depth at low tide and to restore the gate’s width to 2.5 metres in addition to restoring the aperture from 12 metres to its original size. He asserted, however, that it was not feasible to carry out the directive to return the lagoon to its original size of 125 metres by 80 metres.
The respondent had, according to the court, essentially filled up a natural lagoon in order to build a commercial project. On the riverbank, concrete walls were built; the walls of the sluice gates were torn down and rebuilt, and the openings were excessively enlarged. The buildings erected on the
