MARGAO
A host of questions have come to stare the concerned authorities as villagers of the tourist village of Cavelossim claimed destruction of tree cover, construction of a road et al for the development of a property falling in a No Development Zone (NDZ).
One, will the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) clarify whether a road can be built in a No Development Zone? If the answer is in the negative, what steps or action has the agency initiated against the landowners involved in the activity?
Secondly, the Cavelossim Panchayat has claimed to have issued a stop notice to the property owner with a direction to immediately stop the work of fencing poles and developing roads. The property owner was further directed to submit all the legal documents pertaining to the permission for fencing poles and developing the road.
The Panchayat had reportedly issued the notice in the month of June upon a complaint filed by a villager. But questions remain unanswered as to whether the property owner has filed a reply to the stop notice. More importantly, the Panchayat will have to answer another question: how will the Panchayat body go about removing the road, and whether it has already written or would write to the concerned authorities to remove the road in question?
The Panchayat had a year and a half ago issued a notice to an ex-India cricketer for allegedly setting the vegetation and trees on fire on the property falling in the No Development Zone. It’s official that the Cavelossim Panchayat has imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the property owner for causing damage to the tree cover. That’s not all. The Panchayat had reportedly further directed the property owner to plant around 700 trees to compensate for the destruction of the tree cover on the property in question. The moot question, however, remains unanswered: how many trees were actually planted by the owner as per the Panchayat's directions, and whether the Panchayat had at any time inspected the property in question to find out about the tree plantation drive carried out by the owner.
A group of villagers led by Panchayat member Adv. Irish Pasainha during the weekend referred to the white sandbags placed all around the property in question to protect it from soil erosion. The villagers have sought to know who is involved in placing the sandbags abutting the beach and whether the same was carried out after a study conducted by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, and whether the activity was funded by a private party or by government agencies.
Says Adv Pasainha, “When the vegetation and trees on the property in the NDZ were cleared by being set on fire over a year ago, and a sand dune tampered with, we lodged a complaint with the GCZMA. Till date, no official of the GCZMA has come and inspected the site. What does all this show? The agency is not interested in protecting the environment.”
GCZMA to inspect site in viral video
The sand bags placed on the beach to stop sea erosion.
Taking cognisance of a video that has gone viral showing development activity in a No Development Zone at Cavelossim, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority Director Johnson Fernandes has ordered GCZMA officials to inspect the site and report back to the office.
To a question, Johnson was categorical in saying that even a road cannot be built in a No Development Zone. He also said the Authority has no information as to whether any sandbags have been placed along the beach property at Mobor-Cavelossim. He, however, agreed that sandbags can be placed after a study on sea erosion at a particular stretch.
“The Authority has taken cognisance of a video that has gone viral. We will ascertain the facts. Our officials will be visiting the site to find out the ground reality,” Johnson added.
