MARGAO
Loutolim farmers seemed keeping their fingers crossed as their petition seeking stay on the land acquisition for the new High Level Borim bridge will come up before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Western Zone Bench, Pune on January 7.
Besides the original application seeking directions to the authorities not to proceed with the new Borim bridge project passing through the fertile khazan fields without first obtaining a prior Environment Clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006, the farmers had moved another application praying for staying the effect of the report prepared under Section 3D (1) of National Highway Act, 1956 for the Borim Bridge Project.
During the last two hearings, the farmers could not get any relief in terms of stay on the proceedings after the authorities sought time to file their replies to the applications. With fears raised in certain quarters that the PWD, National Highway may cap the land acquisition proceedings during the pendency of the applications before the NGT, the farmers seemed to have drawn up a strategy to foil such a move. Sources said the Counsel representing the farmers is likely to press for an order when the matter comes up for hearing on Tuesday to chalk out their future course of action. “An order by the Bench, either for or against, would help the farmers to knock the doors of Appellate Authority. For, the PWD, National Highway may rush to conclude the land acquisition proceedings,” sources said.
At the last two hearings, some of the respondents had sought two week time to file reply to the application filed by the farmers seeking stay on the report prepared under Section 3D(1) of the National Highway Act for the Borim bridge project.
By the previous order dated 09.08.2024, the Bench had directed respondent MoEF&CC to file reply affidavit, particularly, stating therein as to whether the project in question would require EC or not.
The reply affidavit, however, could not be submitted by them and additional four weeks’ time was prayed to be allowed since Counsel had undergone some surgery.
Loutolim farmers had knocked the doors of 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, because the present design/ alignment of the project fails 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 and respondent Nos. 3 and 4 be directed not to proceed with the project without first obtaining a prior Environment Clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006.
