NGT seeks action plan on opening sluice gates at Mini India Project site

PANJIM: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to produce an action plan for opening of sluice gates at the Mini India Project site.

The order dated August 9 comes in connection with a petition seeking remedial measures filed by three villagers – Lopinho Xavier, Sebastiao Serrao, Caitan Da Silva. 

Earlier, NGT had admitted the petition which seeks to get respondent Movaj Enterprises Pvt Ltd, owner of the Mini India project to undo the damage done to the khazan land on survey number 170/0 and 171/0 of Quelossim, rehabilitate the khazan and bring it to its original status under the supervision of the Goa State Biodiversity Board. 

The petition, over illegal dumping of mud in eco-sensitive area also seeks rehabilitation of mangroves on the plot that have been destroyed and for orders imposing severe pecuniary sanction/damages for carrying out development in violation of laws and orders of the relevant authorities. 

Following the complaint, GCZMA carried out two site inspections and concluded that the survey numbers fall in CRZ-I area and are therefore no development zones. Based on the GCZMA report, NGT highlighted illegal dumping of mud in survey numbers 181 and 182 in the NDZ area.