Authorities de-sealing one of the 23 tourism structures in Agonda on April 5.
CANACONA
Dozens of tourism structures had been demolished or sealed in Agonda during the tourism season last year, but many have resurfaced this tourism season after they were unsealed by authorities.
However, there is a legal dispute over land ownership regarding some of the sealed structures that reopened for this tourism season.
Earlier in March this year, the High Court had ordered the sealing of 20 tourism properties for not obtaining GSPCB certificates. Acting on this order, authorities had effectively sealed eight properties, while nine properties were dismantled by owners on their own, and three commercial establishments produced GSPCB certificates and escaped either sealing or demolition.
A week later, acting on a petition by an aggrieved party, the High Court directed the sealing of 67 commercial establishments, including shacks, huts, and kiosks, on Agonda beach due to unauthorised construction in a protected Olive Ridley turtle nesting area.
During the sealing drive, the GCZMA field team, however, could identify only 63 of the 67 tourism structures ordered for sealing by the High Court.
These 63 establishments identified by the GCZMA were either sealed or the parties concerned demolished them on their own in a three-day drive by authorities led by the Canacona Dy Collector.
Unsealing orders
By the first week of April, 18 of the sealed structures had obtained court orders and were unsealed, and another five were unsealed some days later, taking the total to 23 commercial establishments that became operational, while 40 others were not opened or were demolished for the rest of the season.
During the present tourism season, a number of tourism structures/properties have come up in the same belt, as many tourism stakeholders claimed that the facts were not properly presented to the court, leading to the pronouncement of the March 19 order, which referred to unauthorised constructions in a protected Olive Ridley turtle nesting area.
The stakeholders claimed that the turtle nesting area is over 500 metres away from the structures.
Permits under scrutiny
According to Agonda Sarpanch Nilesh Pagui, though the number of sealed or self-demolished tourism structures was 63, effectively many of these commercial establishments, consisting of kiosks, gaddas, parlours, shacks and huts, belong to around 15 people.
Agonda Panchayat Secretary Amol Naik Gaonkar informed that though applications were received for seasonal tourism permits from most tourism stakeholders, many of these applications, particularly from the southern side of Agonda beach (which was largely affected during last season’s sealing drive), are under scrutiny, and only a few of the applications have been processed and permits issued.
The panchayat secretary was, however, unable to specify how many of last season’s sealed properties had applied for permits, as over 90% of the commercial establishments had set up properties for the ensuing tourism season.
“The Agonda panchayat issued permits to around five tourism establishments around the southern side of the beach,” said Agonda Sarpanch Nilesh Pagui.
“We have learnt that the same party which had filed a writ petition and obtained the sealing order last season has now approached the court against an unknown number of individuals concerned. The panchayat has even received intimations regarding five individuals, where the party concerned has filed petitions in court.”
“We have given, or are in the process of issuing, permits to all properties that were unsealed last season, while we have also issued provisional permits to enable applicants to obtain pollution and GCZMA licences,” the sarpanch said.
Stating that last year two houses across the road were also included as commercial establishments and identified for sealing, he said three of the shacks sealed last year were closed this year.
According to panchayat sources, around 75 seasonal permits along the Agonda coast are issued annually for commercial establishments, such as shacks, huts, kiosks and others.
