NT Reporter
Panaji
Residents opposing the proposed House of Abhinandan Lodha (HOABL)-backed ‘One Goa’ township at Karapur in Bicholim have secured a hearing before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), western zone bench, Pune. Admitting the application alleging violations of environmental laws, the NGT issued notices to the Centre, Goa authorities and the project developers.
The application, filed by Shashikant Gaonkar and three other villagers, seeks to restrain M/s Errichter Infra Pvt Ltd and HoablImpactum Land Pvt Ltd from undertaking land development or construction on Survey Nos. 148/0 and 176/1 at Karapur without obtaining prior environmental clearance (EC) under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006.
According to the
applicants, the proposed project covers 53.94 hectares, exceeding the 50-hectare threshold that requires prior environmental clearance.
The tribunal issued notices to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, the state of Goa, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), the Town and Country Planning Department, the Collector, North Goa, the Karapur-Sarvan panchayat, M/s Errichter Infra Pvt Ltd and HoablImpactum Land Pvt Ltd, directing them to respond to the allegations.
The petitioners submitted that information obtained under the Right to Information Act from the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority showed no record of any environmental clearance application for the project. They also alleged that although the SEIAA had sought clarifications from the project proponent following an earlier
complaint, no further action was taken. They further submitted that satellite imagery placed before the tribunal indicated extensive land levelling, plotting and large-scale felling of trees at the site.
After considering the submissions, the Bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr Sujit Kumar Bajpayee observed that the matter raised a “substantial question relating to environment” and admitted the application.
The respondents have been directed to file their replies within four weeks. The matter will next be heard on September 1.
