PANJIM: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday stayed the construction of Rs 77 crore Tiracol Bridge and issued notices to the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and others.
The stay order was issued by Supreme Court Bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Sanjay Karol while, hearing an appeal filed by the NGO Goa Foundation
In 2015, the Goa Foundation filed an application for stay of work on the “signature bridge” across the Tiracol river before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), on grounds of being approved in violation of the CRZ notification. The NGT ordered a stay on construction.
The petitioner argued that Querim beach had been declared as CRZ I because of its outstanding natural beauty and sand dunes, which would not allow construction of a bridge of the kind envisaged as CRZ I beaches are No-Development Zones (NDZ). The bridge alignment also deviated from the Regional Plan 2021 alignment for a proposed bridge.
The petitioner also drew the attention of the NGT that the bridge was not a public facility, since Tiracol had only 50 families, and it was difficult to conceive of a government spending Rs 77 crore for a bridge that would satisfy their requirement of being connected to the mainland, across the river.
The petitioner provided evidence from the records of the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) that the bridge was in fact intended to benefit a private golf course resort to be located in Tiracol village. In fact, the bridge design was generated by the golf course promoters from Singapore to suit the golf course. The resort putting up the golf course had argued that the “signature bridge” would provide a spectacular entry to their golf resort, the petitioner pointed out.
The cost of the signature bridge increased three times, which forced the Goa government to approach the NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) for a loan for the entire amount, which the NABARD readily granted.
In January 2020, the NGT, Delhi dismissed the application of the Goa Foundation without hearing them. After the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court order, the matter was placed before the NGT which again dismissed the application without hearing the petitioner on merits.
The Goa Foundation then filed an appeal before the Supreme Court, which on Monday found reason to issue notice to parties, and to order a stay on any resumption of work relating to construction of the bridge.
The matter has now been posted for next hearing on August 18.