FAST-REWIND
* In a contempt petition it was pointed out that in 2007 a PIL was filed over rampant dumping of building debris along the Panaji-Old Goa bypass road
* Taking serious note of gross violations of law, various orders came to be passed by the High Court in that petition which was finally disposed on 26 June 2008* The petitioner stated that it was almost a decade and over the years the Goa Government had done nothing to comply with the undertaking given to the High Court
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PANAJI: The State government has assured the Bombay High Court at Goa that it has sent out instructions pursuant to directions of the court to tackle the issue debris being dumped haphazardly along highways.
When the matter was called out, Advocate General told the Court that a meeting was held with all stakeholders, including Adv Aires Rodrigues a petitioner in the matter and Adv Norma Alvares amicus curiae and that various suggestions were deliberated upon and for follow up of the same, the next meeting is proposed in the month of July 2018.
With regard to directions to the Public Works Department to incorporate the conditions in the contract to be given by the Public Works Department for the various civil works other than the National Highway Authorities to first explore using of the construction rubble as filling material, the Advocate General said that due to oversight the instructions remained to be issued to the Public Works Department but that they will be issued within a period of two weeks from today.
The AG also informed the court of a circular issued by the Department of Urban Development incorporating and directing the Urban Local Bodies to display the signboards indicating the sites for depositing of construction and demolition debris.
With regard to garbage in Panaji city, the advocate for the Municipal Corporation states that this concern of the Petitioner is taken note of and the Municipal Corporation is taking all efforts to ensure that the drains are not clogged in view of the accumulation of the garbage during the monsoon. We accept this statement and expect the Commissioner to personally look into the issue raised by the Petitioner.
Adv Aires Rodrigues in his contempt petition has pointed out that in 2007 a Public Interest Litigation was filed over the rampant dumping of building debris along the Panaji-Old Goa bypass road and that taking serious note of the gross violations of law, various orders came to be passed by the High Court in that petition which was finally disposed on 26 June 2008 based on a Minutes of Order that was signed and submitted to the Court.
Rodrigues had stated that it was very anguishing that it is almost a decade and over the years the Goa Government has done nothing to comply with the solemn undertaking given to the High Court on 26 June 2008 and that the malafide conduct of the authorities amounts to rank disobedience to the orders of the Court.
