the goan I network
MARGAO
, Fisheries department has asserted that work on the project had commenced after obtaining all permissions and approvals, including approval from the Coastal Regulation Zone Authority.
Director of Fisheries Dr Shamila Monteiro said that neither the Fisheries department nor the contractor has resorted to any illegality in respect to the project.
“We have all the approvals and permissions from the concerned authorities, including the CRZ. That’s not all. The Fisheries department had obtained permissions not only for the retaining wall project at River Sal mouth, but for all the fisheries projects at Chapora and Malim jetty as well,” Dr Monteiro asserted.
When her attention was drawn to the show cause notice cum stop work order issued by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to stop work on the project at Betul, the Fisheries director said the department officials will reply to the show cause notice by Monday or Tuesday along with the permissions. “May be the stop work order was issued by the GCZMA after the Authority received a complaint from a local organisation. But, the fact remains that the work had commenced only after receiving all permissions and approvals,” she added.
Work on the ambitious training wall project is stalled for the moment after the GCZMA followed by the local Cavelossim village panchayat issued a stop work order on the Fisheries department and the contractor to stop work following a complaint from the Cavelossim Villagers’ Forum.
Department officials informed that the contractor had built a temporary road to the River Sal mouth in order to transport men and machinery to the site to execute the work.
Work on the retaining wall project has been taken up by the Fisheries department in order to overcome the hostile navigational problems encountered by fishing vessels during and after monsoons.
, hampering vessels from venturing out in the sea and from returning with fish catch to the Cutbona fishing jetty.
