NGT pulls up GCZMA for not acting against hotel

PANAJI
The National Green Tribunal has pulled up the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority for dragging its feet and failing to act against a hotel resort in Calangute that has been blatantly built in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regulations.

“It is patent that lame excuses are being given by the GCZMA to avoid statutory obligation. On being asked, learned Counsel for the GCZMA, merely stated that GCZMA has still not been able to finalise the matter for which we see no earthly justification, except extraneous reasons. In spite of violations being noted and directions issued by this Tribunal more than one year ago and two further opportunities having been given, no action is being taken against the law violators,” the tribunal noted.

“Accordingly, we direct the Chief Secretary, Goa, to look into the conduct of the Member Secretary, GCZMA and take remedial action, following due process. We further direct the GCZMA to finalise the matter positively within one month and file an action taken report, after executing the order passed. In case of default, the Member Secretary, GCZMA, will be personally accountable by way of coercive action which may include civil imprisonment and stoppage of salary,” the NGT also said.

One Nalini da Rosa Fernandes in her application before the NGT highlighted the inaction of GCZMA to enforce CRZ notification against illegal construction of Zinhos Beach Resort, Zinhos (L) Beach Resort, and Zinhos I Beach Resort located at Survey No. 243/13A and Survey No. 243/4 comprising of a Ground +2 structure with 32 rooms and a swimming pool at Saunta Vaddo, Calangute, undertaken after 1991, within the ‘No Development Zone’ of 200 metres from the High Tide Line in terms of the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991 and the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011, without the approval of Competent Authorities.

The Draft Coastal Zone Management Plan as prepared by National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management for Village Calangute clearly shows that the Survey Nos 243/13A and 243/4 fall within the 200 metres of the High Tide Line i.e, within the No Development Zone in terms of the CRZ Notification. Further, the construction of Zinhos Beach Resort at Survey Nos 243/13A and 243/4 comprising a Ground +2 structure has come up structure at Survey No. 243/13 was pre-existing prior to 1991, and rest of the construction on Survey No 243 has come up only after 1991.