the goan I network
OLD GOA
Sustained campaign by the Merces Manch Welfare Association (MMWA) against unauthorised structures that have spring up in a low-lying area near Shantaban-Merces has borne fruits, as the Merces panchayat has directed the party concerned to demolish the structures within 30 days.
In its notice, the panchayat has warned that if the structures are not demolished within the given period, it would initiate action to raze the same and the cost incurred would be recovered from the party.
It may be recalled that MMWA had been consistently campaigning against these illegalities for several months and had even approached the GCZMA.
The GCZMA had also found that the site, where the filling is done for reclamation of the area for construction, is within NDZ of the backwater of Chimbel creek.
Other gross violations observed by the GCZMA include cutting of mangroves for the purpose of reclamation without obtaining permission from the forest department.
“Constructions of poultry shed, slaughter house, toilets, chawl, etc are all done without obtaining permission from GCZMA and other authorities,” the GCZMA has further observed while mentioning that all constructions done are within the agricultural land, which are not permissible.
“As the existing thick mangroves are more than 1000 sq m in area, a setback of 50m becomes applicable from the mangroves to the plot area towards the landward side within which no activity is permissible. The present constructions all are falling within the 50m setback area/NDZ area and are not permissible,” GCZMA has observed.
It has concluded that since the violator has not obtained any permission, neither from the Merces Comunidade nor the panchayat and GCZMA, all the erected structures become illegal and cannot be permitted to exist at the site.
