Panaji: In the unauthorised construction of an immersion site in a mangrove area in Murda village of Tiswadi taluka, the Western Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune has dismissed an appeal by the Merces village panchayat against the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority’s (GCZMA) demolition order dated December 10, 2024.
The bench, comprising Judicial Member Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr K Satyagopal, found that the panchayat had carried out substantial construction without obtaining prior permissions in a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) area. The structures included GI sheet roofing shed with MS channels spanning 84 sq metres, a paver-covered plinth of 347 square metres, and a developed pond measuring 79 square metres with concrete steps and anti-skid tiles.
Now, the panchayat will now have to comply with the GCZMA’s order to demolish all unauthorised structures and restore the land to its original condition.
The panchayat’s reply to the show cause notice revealed that the immersion site was relocated due to the construction of NH-66, as the previous location on the right side of the highway from Panaji to Bambolim became inaccessible. The work was awarded to contractor Mehboob A Mulla and completed in 2021.
While the GCZMA acknowledged the religious sentiments and hardships faced by locals due to the highway development, it said rehabilitation of religious sites still requires prior approval from the authority.
During the February 13, 2025 hearing, the Merces panchayat, represented by counsel, argued that the construction was necessitated after the expansion of NH-66 disrupted traditional ritual sites. They cited “religious sentiments” and claimed the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) 2024 could regularise the structures. The bench, comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh (Judicial Member) and Dr Vijay Kulkarni (Expert Member), adjourned the matter by a day, granting the Panchayat time to produce legal provisions supporting their case.
However, when the hearing resumed on February 18 before Justice Singh and Dr Satyagopal (replacing Dr Kulkarni), the panchayat failed to justify the legality of the construction.
The counsel admitted that no prior permission had been sought before undertaking the construction, which had resulted in the destruction of a large mangrove area.
