The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the state government to submit a complete record of demolition of illegal shacks. Applicant Aleixo Pereira has alleged that shacks and cottages have been erected along beach stretches in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and non-compliance of NGT’s 2014 order. The tribunal has directed the deputy collectors of Salcete and Canacona to conduct joint site inspections on January 12 with respect to photo evidence submitted by Pereira. It has asked the applicant to report to the office of the Salcete deputy collector at 11 am on Wednesday to carry out the inspection. Advocate general Saresh Lotkikar has submitted that a demolition drive for Salcete taluka was completed on December 17 and Canacona on December 15, 2016, but the applicant has disputed the claim. He said shacks were not demolished and the member secretary of Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority was misleading the tribunal by filing false affidavits. He also submitted some photographs as evidence to substantiate his claim and requesting that Section 26 of Nation Green Tribunal Act, 2010, be imposed to penalize the respondents. However, his plea was rejected with the tribunal maintaining that “we are concerned with the execution of the order as contemplated under Section 25 of NGT Act, 2010, which obliges this tribunal to execute its order as a decree as per provisions of the Criminal Police Code.” The NGT has also directed the ministry of forest and environment (MoEF) to file a compliance report before the next date of hearing with regard to its December 2014 order.
2014 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.