HC puts onus on government bodies in Mashem reclamation case

PANAJI : The high court of Bombay at Goa recently directed the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and the Captain of Ports (CoP) to ensure that conditions imposed by them in the construction of the bridge at Mashem were complied with.

A petition had been filed by Mashem resident Pamela Rodrigues, praying that earth-filled areas of the Galgibaga river be cleared. At the last hearing, her counsel, Nigel Costa Frias, had argued that reclamation of the river was illegal and debris had not been removed, thereby causing environmental degradation.

Advocate general Dattaprasad Lawande said that except for the mud and debris around the bridge pillars that were already built, the rest be would be cleared. He, however, said the task would take some time.

In one of the conditions laid down to the public works department (PWD), the CoP had stated that reclaiming and polluting any river in Goa was prohibited. A division bench comprising Justice N M Jamdar and Justice Prithviraj Chavan, said its attention had been drawn to the non-compliance of this condition and also to a subsequent inspection that had confirmed the breach. After perusing the inspection report, the bench had asked the PWD to bring the land-filling activity to the notice of the GCZMA and CoP.

The judges said it was the responsibility of both agencies to ensure that the conditions were enforced.

It also sought a response from both agencies at the next hearing.