MARGAO
After a sustained two-year legal battle before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the Bombay High Court at Goa, smiles lit the faces of farmers, environmentalists and anti-coal activists over the High Court’s decision to stay the land acquisition process for the proposed Rs 1,900-crore high-level Borim Bridge.
The interim order has come as a major relief to farmers and activists, who have been challenging the project before the NGT’s Western Zone Bench in Pune and the High Court of Bombay at Goa, arguing that mandatory environmental clearances had not been obtained before initiating land acquisition proceedings.
Chairman of the Carbot Cantor, Macasana and Bebdo Tenants Association, Loutolim, Alberto Pinheiro said the High Court’s order has brought much-needed relief to the affected farming community. “The temporary relief means that no further land acquisition process can continue until the mandatory compliances relating to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), Forest and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) are completed,” Pinheiro said.
He alleged that the government had argued before the court that it would first take possession of the land and obtain the required clearances later, a position the High Court did not accept.
“The authorities had even issued award notices while the basic statutory compliances were still pending. The government has now undertaken before the court to obtain all the necessary clearances,” he said.
Pinheiro added that the farmers, through their counsel, had relied on several Supreme Court judgements which make it mandatory for authorities to secure all statutory clearances before proceeding with land acquisition.
Environmental activist Abhijit Prabhudesai described the High Court’s order as a significant victory for farmers from Loutolim and Borim. “The High Court deserves appreciation for granting much-needed relief to the farmers by staying the 3D orders and directing that their possession of the khazan lands should not be disturbed,” he said.
According to Prabhudesai, the villagers are now confident that their struggle will ultimately succeed and that the land acquisition proceedings will either be quashed or withdrawn.
He further said the order has strengthened Goa’s anti-coal movement. “This is also a shot in the arm for Goa’s anti-coal hub struggle and the global fight against the climate crisis, as this project is essentially meant for coal transportation and will have disastrous consequences for Goa’s environment as well as the planet’s climate,” he said.
Calling the order a landmark development, Prabhudesai said, “The High Court’s order is a massive victory for indigenous communities fighting to protect their fields, khazan lands, environment and livelihoods. For the last two years, they have pursued this battle with determination before the NGT and the High Court. This is a victory for the environment and for the Constitution of India.”
He also observed that the decision is significant because it is perhaps the first instance in recent years where the High Court has stayed the land acquisition process for a National Highway project.
Farmers dedicate relief to late environmental activist Tavares
Chairman of the Carbot Cantor, Macasana and Bebdo Tenants Association, Loutolim, Alberto Pinheiro said the farmers have dedicated the High Court’s interim relief to late environmental activist Diana Tavares, who had consistently questioned the authorities over their failure to comply with mandatory statutory notifications before initiating land acquisition.
Sources said Tavares had laid much of the groundwork before the farmers approached the NGT’s Western Zone Bench and the High Court, besides raising the issue with various government authorities.
“So far, so good. We are not against development, but it should not come at the cost of our livelihood,” Pinheiro said.
Loutolim farmers’ two-year legal battle to save khazan fields
Loutolim farmers had waged a sustained battle against the new high-level Borim Bridge proposed through their khazan fields.
MARGAO: Ever since the government issued a notification under Section 3-A of the National Highways Act, 1956, on October 19, 2023, proposing the acquisition of Loutolim’s khazan fields for the construction of the new high-level Borim Bridge, beleaguered farmers have been running from pillar to post in an effort to protect their lands.
After raising objections before various authorities, the farmers approached the National Green Tribunal’s Western Zone Bench in 2024 and, subsequently, the High Court of Bombay at Goa in 2025.
In a petition filed before the High Court on April 7, 2025, Salvador Alvares and 39 other petitioners highlighted a series of environmental and socio-economic concerns, besides pointing to the absence of a Detailed Project Report (DPR), while seeking a stay on the land acquisition proceedings.
The petitioners urged the Court to quash and set aside the land acquisition notification issued for the bridge project and restrain the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and other respondents from proceeding with the acquisition. They also sought directions for the withdrawal of the impugned notifications.
Arguing that the acquisition process was fundamentally flawed, the farmers alleged that no prior environmental or socio-economic studies were conducted before identifying the land for acquisition.
“No prior studies were carried out of the environmental and socio-economic features of the land proposed to be acquired. The entire proceedings were based on the false premise that the CRZ area involved was only about 5,500 square metres, whereas the actual CRZ area exceeds 1,00,000 square metres. Prior knowledge of the nature of the land, and the fact that a substantial portion comprises khazan fields protected under the CRZ Notification, would have had a significant impact on the decision-making process and the selection of the project alignment,” the petition stated.
Loutolim farmers opposed the bridge with dedication despite the government using police machinery to deter them from staging protests.
