PANAJI
The Comunidade of Mormugao has approached the High Court of Bombay at Goa, accusing several government departments of failing to act against illegal dumping and landfilling on its agricultural land in Vasco.
In its petition, filed through attorney Antonio Maximiano Pereira, the Comunidade has alleged that the South Central Railway and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) dumped large amounts of construction waste, debris, and mud in paddy fields in Vasco.
The respondents named in the case include the South Central Railway (Government of India), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, Town and Country Planning Department, Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA), Goa State Pollution Control Board, Mormugao Municipal Council, Collector and Deputy Collector of South Goa, and the State of Goa, among others.
The Comunidade has sought directions to remove the dumped waste and restore the land to its original state. It has also asked for the enforcement of the High Court’s earlier judgment dated July 17, 2023, which had ordered strict action against illegal dumping and restoration of affected areas.
“Despite repeated complaints and reminders, the authorities have failed to act against the offenders or to comply with the court’s orders. Inspections by the Mormugao Municipal Council and other agencies confirmed the dumping and encroachments, but no follow-up action was taken,” the petitioner stated.
The petition has urged the High Court to issue writs of mandamus directing the authorities to remove the debris, investigate the violations, and monitor the railway double-tracking works to prevent further damage. It has also sought punitive action against the agencies and individuals responsible, under the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and other relevant laws.
The Comunidade has also challenged an MPDA order dated October 30, 2023, which directed it to restore the land instead of holding the actual violators accountable. Calling the order “arbitrary,” the Comunidade argued that it lets the offenders “go scot-free.”
