Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The High Court of Bombay in Goa was informed by the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) that the Shambhala Beach Lounge in Candolim will cease operations immediately.
M Salkar, the GSPCB’s counsel, said during the hearing of a writ petition filed by the Calangute Constituency Forum in a public interest litigation (PIL) that the GSPCB had already given M/s Ekana Hospitality (Candolim) Pvt Ltd a notice of closure because it had not received permission to operate the restaurant.
According to Adv Salkar, GSPCB representatives will visit the location on Tuesday to make sure that operations have been suspended and will submit a compliance report the following Wednesday.
Senior Advocate Surendra Desai appearing on behalf of the M/s Ekana Hospitality (Candolim) Pvt Ltd, also told the Court that the operations at the restaurant will be closed from Tuesday itself since there was no consent to operate by the GSPCB.
Adv Rohit Bras De Sa made an argument on behalf of the Calangute Constituency Forum, claiming that the respondents had broken the terms of the no-objection certificate (NOC) by building temporary wooden structures and then turning them into permanent ones using steel, concrete, and other materials.
This allowed them to get around the limitations on permanent construction in the no development zone (NDZ) and take advantage of the profitable beachfront property.
Regarding M/s Rafale Square Development Pvt Ltd, senior advocate Subodh Kantak, stated that the offending structures will be dismantled/removed and an affidavit to that effect will be filed by Wednesday, giving the timeline within which this exercise will be completed. Meanwhile, these offending structures will not be used for any purpose, he said.
As far as another respondent Zulekha Irfan Tinwala or Droplet was concerned, Advocate General Devidas Pangam stated that he will seek full instructions and the matter could be considered on Wednesday
