PANAJI: Coming down heavily on the state government for lack of regulatory mechanism to control
illegal sand mining in the state, the high court of Bombay at Goa asked the government to have an “effective enforcement mechanism” in place at the earliest.
“We expect a regulatory mechanism in the form of an enforcement squad with functional boats and complaint forum is established forthwith, to avoid any restraitn order,” said Justices N M Jamdar and Prithviraj K Chavan in response to a PIL filed by Federation of Rainbow Warriors and others.
The court also called for establishment of a flying squad to check whether the stipulations listed by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority while giving the environmental clearance, are being enforced or not.
‘Board should monitor riverine biodiversity’
It also said the Goa State Biodiversity Board should periodically monitor riverine and riparian biodiversity on a sampling mode. The sand mining season will begin from October 1.
Additional advocate general P Faldessai told the court that an enforcement squad had been formed for six talukas — Pernem, Bardez, Tiswadi, Bicholim, Sattari and Ponda — on August 22, 2013, but is non-functional.
“There is no functional boat. It is obvious the state will not be able to curb illegal sand mining if it does not have an enforcement mechanism in the form of a patrolling squad. The state has also not set up any helpline or complaint platform to receive any information regarding illegal sand mining. In such a state of affairs, how it will deter sand mining is difficult to discern,” the court asked.
Faldessai said the director of mines and geology is in the process of creating an enforcement squad and communication to that effect will be issued on Tuesday. The captain of ports and coastal security police shall accordingly provide functional boats as requested by directorate of mines, the court said.
The matter is fixed for September 12 “for directions”.
Representative image
