MAPUSA
In a double setback for Clara Club in Anjuna, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has directed that the premises will remain sealed until further orders, while scheduling a hearing on January 8 to examine alleged violations in the construction of the structure.
The GCZMA’s order comes close on the heels of action taken by the Joint Enforcement and Monitoring Committee (JEMC), which sealed the club on December 16 for operating without a structural stability certificate.
During a site inspection, the GCZMA found that although permission had been granted for construction of a club with an approved area of 264 square metres, the actual built-up area exceeded the sanctioned limits.
The Authority acted on complaints filed by local residents Ravi Harmalkar, Rajesh Dabokar and Sagardeep Sirsaikar.
According to the inspection report, the structure – claimed to be temporary – has been constructed within CRZ-III in the No Development Zone (NDZ).
The authority observed that there was prima facie evidence of “gross illegal construction,” amounting to violations of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011.
The GCZMA report noted that the structure comprises four decks or levels, partially covered with roofing, and includes a kitchen, toilets, rooms and staircases, along with high, curved, temporary walls surrounding the premises.
“The foundation at the ground level of the alleged structure cannot be visible or identified, as it is covered with wooden planks, steel plates and cement boards,” the report stated.
It further observed that the structure begins from the High Tide Line (HTL) and that no mandatory setbacks have been maintained at the site.
Interestingly, within days of the sealing action by the JEMC, the management of Clara Club approached the District Collector of North Goa seeking revocation of the sealing order, claiming that it was in possession of a structural stability certificate.
The matter relating to the alleged CRZ violations will now be taken up by the GCZMA on January 8.
