Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a significant order aimed at protecting Goa’s fragile coastal ecosystem, the Bombay High Court at Goa has directed private parties accused of illegally reclaiming mangrove and khazan land at Morombi-O-Pequeno to deposit ₹1.69 crore towards restoring the damaged environment.
The Division Bench of Justices Valmiki Menezes and Hiten Venegavkar held that the respondents appeared, at this stage, to be responsible for the environmental degradation and should bear the cost of restoring the affected land. The amount has been calculated by a court-appointed Task Force, which assessed the expenditure required to return the site to its original ecological condition.
Besides depositing the restoration cost, the respondents have been instructed to file an affidavit within two weeks explaining how they intend to rehabilitate the damaged area and respond to the findings of the Task Force.
The Court’s observations were based on a report submitted by the Task Force on May 18, 2026, which documented large-scale dumping of construction debris and other waste on Survey Nos. 58/1 and 58/2 at Morombi-O-Pequeno. The report concluded that the activity had caused extensive destruction of mangrove vegetation, while noting that the wider ecological impact on adjoining khazan lands is yet to be fully evaluated.
Relying on its earlier findings in the matter, the Bench observed that the occupants of the land could be held accountable for the environmental damage and should compensate the State for the restoration exercise.
In the same proceedings, the High Court reviewed compliance at another environmentally sensitive site in Murda, where the Comunidade of Murda had been directed to remove illegally dumped debris.
After examining a monitoring report submitted through the Advocate General and an affidavit filed by the Comunidade’s attorney, Xavier Martins, the Bench recorded that the construction waste and landfill material had been cleared from the identified survey plots.
However, the judges emphasised that merely removing the debris would not be enough to restore the ecological balance. They directed that the area be safeguarded against any future dumping and revived as a functioning mangrove and khazan ecosystem in line with the Regional Plan.
To strengthen long-term protection, the Court asked the Member Secretary of the Goa State Biodiversity Board to inspect a proposal for digging a trench along National Highway-66 to prevent fresh dumping at the site. A feasibility report has been sought within two weeks.
The Bench also instructed the Goa State Biodiversity Board and the Chief Conservator of Forests to jointly assess the Murda site and recommend measures for ecological restoration, including the planting of indigenous mangrove species and other scientifically appropriate conservation measures.
The case has been scheduled for further hearing on August 24, when the Court will consider the respondents’ affidavits and the reports submitted by the concerned authorities.
