MARGAO
Can the local bodies issue NOC and permission for hotels and establishments when the High Court has banned multi-dwelling units in the panchayat jurisdictions for non-resolution of garbage woes?
Colva-based social activist Judith Almeida has on Tuesday dashed off a letter to the Member Secretary, Goa State Pollution Control Board, objecting to the issue of consent to establish/ operate hotels in the village under the Colva panchayat jurisdiction.
She has also demanded to know the NOCs/permissions issued by the Village Panchayat of Colva to new commercial structures/ hotels having four or more rooms despite the lack of management of garbage both solid and wet waste.
In her letter to the GSPCB, Judith pointed out that the village panchayat has issued permissions to a hotel courtyard, a luxurious 99-room establishment and a two-floor hotel building with 18 rooms.
Claiming that commercial activities have commenced without obtaining the consent to operate till date, Judith has raised her objection to the issue of consent to operate till the issue of garbage management is not solved. “Operation of such a large hotel will only increase pollution due to garbage in the village. It is surprising that the GSPCB granted NOC to establish to such a large commercial establishment despite being aware that Colva panchayat has not been able to resolve garbage management. The GSPCB is a party to the SMWP 02/2007 going on before the High Court of Bombay at Goa,” she said.
The activist has requested that the GSPCB conduct a discrete inspection of all the village roads under intimation to this Forum.
“This forum which has filed PILs in the High Court of Bombay at Goa in the past and has been monitoring and filing complaints of lack of management of garbage by the village panchayat. Hence, it is also known that these hotels and commercial establishment obtain NOCs, permissions, licences by providing certificates for a fee from private garbage management agencies before obtaining Occupancy Certificate, etc only to discontinue their services after the occupancy is obtained,” she added.
