MAPUSA
Continuing its enforcement drive against non-compliant nightspots along the coastal belt, the State administration on Friday sealed the controversial restaurant-cum-nightclub Curlies at Anjuna, following directions of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA).
The sealing action was carried out by a joint team comprising officials from the office of the Bardez Mamlatdar, Talathi, GCZMA, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) officials and Anjuna police, amid allegations of violations of CRZ norms and related environmental regulations.
Officials said the action was taken as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal structures operating along the coastline.
Curlies, an iconic but frequently controversial nightlife establishment abutting the Anjuna beach, has been under the scanner for years for alleged unauthorised constructions within the CRZ.
GCZMA Member Secretary Sachin Desai said that further action, including demolition, would be decided only after verification of records and mapping of structures in the area.
“Mapping of the existing structures needs to be completed first. If there are earlier orders, we will ascertain the status of compliances and then decide the next course of action,” Desai said when asked whether demolition was imminent.
The sealing comes despite a clear demolition order upheld last year by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). In its ruling, the NGT dismissed an appeal filed by Curlies owner Linet Nunes, who had challenged the GCZMA’s demolition directive.
The tribunal had upheld the GCZMA order mandating demolition of an illegal ground-plus-one structure situated on Survey No. 42/10 within the Anjuna panchayat limits. The order also noted that the structure had encroached upon adjoining survey numbers — 42/9, 42/11, 45/19 and 45/41 – and directed restoration of the land to its original condition.
The NGT had further rejected a subsequent review application seeking a stay on the demolition order, effectively clearing the way for enforcement.
However, despite the tribunal’s directions, the administration had failed to carry out demolition, allowing the structure – which virtually touches the beach – to continue operating. The nightclub reportedly continued hosting events and commercial activities even after the adverse orders.
Friday’s sealing is being viewed as part of a wider post-Arpora fire enforcement push against nightclubs and beach shacks operating in violation of safety, environmental and statutory norms.
