PANAJI
The Goa State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) has called for urgent action into the alleged illegal hill cutting and mining of mud from an ongoing construction site in St Cruz, citing the work has already destroyed the environment.
The SEAC headed by Chairman Goa-SEAC Gautam Vikas Desai has stated that the work has already caused damage to the environment while referring the matter to the Goa State Environment lmpact Assessment Authority, Town and Country Planning Department, Directorate of Mines & Geology and Public Work Department “to take immediate action with the fastest urgency it deserves as it has destroyed the Environment.”
The issue was taken up for discussion after a local, Jose Vincent Gomes, complained about illegal hill cutting at Bambolim and referred to The Goan’s news report published on March 10, 2023.
During the discussion in its latest meeting, the Committee stated that the site was inspected on January 6, 2023 “ after its last inspection conducted in October 2021 - to re-verify the complaint. A notice to the deponent was thereafter sent on January 12, 2023 seeking copies of all the permissions issued by various government agencies for excavation/ground levelling activities.
In its reply on January 20, 2023, the deponent claimed that the said property is not affected by any of the provisions of the Environmental Laws and requested the Committee to produce the inspection report of which was carried out on January 6, 2023.
In a subsequent meeting on March 10, 2023, the SEAC concluded that the deponent was illegally undertaking mining of a hill under the garb of requiring the soil for making service road in Survey No 110/1 & 111/1 in Calapur Village.
“The back vision of the site clearly indicates a pristine area with hills, trees, plantations and vegetation which were destroyed from the site which clearly violates environmental laws. The Committee has come to the conclusion that the said deponent has violated the norms and rules whichever stipulated in the Environment Protection Acts 1986 and also carried out activities causing major Environmental damages,” the Committee observed while referring the matter to the concerned authorities for action.
What the Committee observed during its inspection:
The site boundary was barricaded using metal sheets
Cutting / excavation at the site was carried out by using heavy earth moving equipments
Large amount of excavated materials including murrum / laterite rubble stones were lying on the site
Trucks were being loaded with the excavated materials using wheel loaders
Laying of steel for raft foundation was seen in progress
