Coastal body finds docus submitted by casinos insufficient

Panaji: The Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), which had received applications for NOC to operate from the five offshore casinos in the Mandovi, has found the documents submitted insufficient.
Earlier this year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had asked the offshore casinos being run in the Mandovi to seek CRZ clearance to operate.
The GCZMA has asked the casinos to produce all or any permissions they have to operate from other departments.
“As per directives of the NGT, casinos operating in the river require to obtain NOC for CRZ in an area up to 12 nautical miles. The applications received are incomplete and without documents. The authority, after perusing the applications, decided to ask the applicants to furnish all the vessel details, including the NOC procured by them from other departments, required under the law, so as to take further decision in the matter,” the GCZMA decided at its meeting held last week.
The application for NOC before the coastal body was made by Golden Peace Infrastructure (Majestic Pride), World Wide Resorts and Entertainment (Lucky Seven), High Street Cruises and Entertainment (Caravela), High Street Cruises and Entertainment (Casino Royale), and Delta Co-op (Horseshoe Casino).
The NGT had directed the casinos to stop operations as they did not have CRZ clearance for the activity. It has also asked the Goa State Pollution Control Board to assess and recover compensation for the environmental damage caused by the offshore activity taking place without the required clearances. This recovered amount is to be utilised for restoration of the environment by preparing an action plan, the tribunal said.
Applicant Kashinath Shetye had told the Tribunal that the casino vessels have been shifted to an area that falls under CRZ- IV zone, which is within 12 nautical miles (i.e. the buffer zone) in the river. This contention was accepted by the NGT.
The GCZMA had earlier dismissed Shetye’s complaint and he had then challenged the authority’s order before the NGT.