MARGAO
Loutolim farmers will have to wait till February 17 to know the fate of their prayer seeking a stay on the land acquisition proceedings for the new high-level Borim Bridge after the National Green Tribunal adjourned the hearing on Tuesday.
When the petition and the Interlocutory application came up for hearing before the NGT, Western Bench, Pune on Tuesday, most of the agencies once again could not file their replies to the petition.
In fact, the NGT has adjourned the matter for further hearing on February 17 with directions to the respondents to file their replies to their petition filed by the farmers.
Social activist Abhijit Prabhudesai informed that the advocate representing the farmers had made a strong case before the Bench for an order on the prayer for a stay on the land acquisition proceedings. However, since most of the agencies, barring one, could not file their replies to the prayer for a stay by the farmers, the matter was adjourned to February 17, he added.
During the last two hearings, the plea of the farmers for a stay on the land acquisition proceedings was not accepted by the Bench since the concerned authorities did not file their replies to their petition and the Interlocutory application and had sought further time.
Farmers from Loutolim, who have been waging a sustained agitation to protect their khazan fields from destruction, had filed a petition before the NGT with a prayer to direct the Goa government, besides the PWD, National Highway, besides Ministry of Road Transport & Highways to reconsider or re-design and selection of the alternative for `proposed construction of High Level New Borim Bridge on NH-17B (NH-566) in the State of Goa.
The farmers had contended that the present design/ alignment of the project has failed to identify and consider the presence of CRZ areas, forest areas and environmental preservation and the impact on these eco-sensitive areas and the people dependent on these areas.
In fact, the farmers had prayed to direct the authorities not to proceed with the project without first obtaining a prior Environment Clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006.
