The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has issued a stop-work order to the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) for undertaking work on a bridge connecting St Estevam islands without necessary permissions from the regulatory body.
It has been brought to light that no CRZ clearances were sought before undertaking work on the bridge. GSIDC is formed for speedy implementation of major infrastructural projects of the government like roads, bridges, flyovers, bus stands and tourism-related projects across the State.
It is a shame that a government-affiliated body which undertakes government projects has not only gone ahead with a project of this scale without the mandatory CRZ clearance but in the process has completely undermined the role of the coastal authority giving the impression that the government projects don’t need a clearance from the GCZMA.
With a crocodile habitat, khazan land, a riverine area and mangroves in the vicinity, this bridge is running into a highly eco-sensitive area with the GCZMA officials even documenting the existence of crocodiles there with videos. A horrible precedent has been set by cutting into this sensitive area by ruthlessly cutting down mangroves and ignoring the habitat, and once again the system is failing to show some concern for nature when it is at crossroads with development.
The government which has been on several occasions caught on the wrong foot on environment-related projects should have led by example, especially at a time when there is a ragging public discourse about conserving nature. It is unfortunate that the GSIDC, which is headed by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, has made it look like the CRZ clearances are irrelevant for government projects, when, on the contrary, it should have been doubly cautious given the sensitive nature of the land in question and the backlash faced in the past. Being a government agency, GSIDC should be leading from the front on such cases ensuring that all the laws and regulations are complied with, and should have even undertaken a social impact assessment.
It appears that lessons of the past have not been learnt. This is not the first time that CRZ regulations have been overlooked. The new Mandovi bridge faced a similar situation in 2016 with the NGT rapping the GSIDC for proceeding with the project without the CRZ and environmental clearances. One cannot understand the logic of moving ahead with major projects without mandatory clearances, and it only goes to show that there is a deliberate and conscious attempt to dodge past roadblocks.
The GSIDC has been served a show-cause notice, but there is a need to fix responsibility. The government cannot absolve itself of its responsibility to uphold the laws of the land. Heads must roll, and the managing director’s role along with the vice-chairman of GSIDC must come under scrutiny. We need to ask who is responsible for this illegality amounting to crores of rupees of public money. Development cannot come at the whims and fancies of public representatives by overlooking the catastrophic impact on the environment.
