MARGAO
As the High Court is set to resume hearing in the PIL concerning the alleged destruction of the sand dune at Cavelossim, the role of various authorities, including the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), the Cavelossim village panchayat and the revenue authorities, has come under scrutiny.
While local citizens fighting to save the sand dune have criticised the Cavelossim panchayat for delaying the revocation of permissions granted to Ashford Resorts, the GCZMA has also come under scrutiny for issuing a stop-work-cum-show-cause notice to the resort only on November 3, despite having inspected the site on September 25.
The GCZMA took more than a month to issue the notice, raising questions over whether prompt action following the inspection could have prevented the destruction of the sand dune.
Although the dates of the GCZMA’s inspection and the issuance of the stop-work notice find mention in the High Court’s directions issued on November 9, sources said the date of the inspection was not specified in the notice issued by the Authority.
With the High Court prima facie finding that the company has violated the CRZ notification, the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010, and Section 66(1) of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, all eyes are on the court proceedings scheduled for November 11.
The High Court has directed the concerned authorities to ensure that nobody is permitted to enter the property for any reason and to take immediate steps to secure the site and prevent unauthorised access.
On November 9, the High Court also directed Ashford Resorts to ensure that all its directors, partners, officers, contractors and workers operating for, through or under the company abide by the order.
