PANAJI
The High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued notices to the State and other government departments in connection with a Public Interest Litigation challenging the alleged massive hill cutting, felling of trees, and destruction of vegetation along the Bambolim highway leading to Goa Medical College and the Cujira School complex.
Petitioners Swapnesh Sherlekar and Samil Volvoikar alleged indiscriminate hill-cutting at the location, which is one of the busiest junctions. Seeking a stay on the operations, the petitioners submitted that the minutes of the 172nd meeting of the Goa State Expert Appraisal Committee held on March 10, 2023, clearly recorded that one of the respondents was illegally undertaking mining of a hill under the guise of requiring the soil for making a service road in survey numbers 110/1 and 111/1 in Kalapur village.
They further submitted to the Court that the Committee report also recorded that the back vision of the site clearly indicated a pristine area with hills, trees, plantations, and vegetation that had been destroyed from the site, violating Environmental Laws. The Committee unanimously decided to refer this matter to the concerned government authorities to take immediate action with the urgency it deserves, as it has destroyed the environment.
The High Court was also informed of the communication dated March 30, 2022, from the Executive Engineer (WD-VII (NH) PWD Panaji, wherein the government approval for relaxation of the highway setback line of 30 metres from the Centre of NH-17 (New NH-66) at Kalapur in the two survey numbers was subject to the conditions stipulated.
The High Court, thus, issued notices to the respondents -- the State, Mines and Geology Department, TCP, PWD, St Cruz Villa Panchayat, and others, returnable on December 16.
