http://m.timesofindia.com/PDATOI/articleshow/8147248.cms HC pulls up Colva panchayat over dumping of hotel waste in creekMay 3, 2011, 12.14am IST TNN
PANAJI: The high court of Bombay at Goa on Monday pulled up the Colva panchayat for not acting on the directions of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) to stop hotels from dumping sewage into the creek near the Colva beach. A division bench comprising Justice S C Dharmadhikari and Justice F M Reis directed the panchayat not to issue any fresh trade licences until June 15. The bench passed the orders on a petition filed by the Colva Civic and Consumer Forum alleging that the hotels operating along the creek were dumping their waste and sewage into it. During the hearing, the petitioner's advocate, Nigel Costa Frias, told the court that the GSPCB had carried out an inspection on March 14. Thereafter a copy of the inspection report was forwarded to the panchayat to take action. However, GSPCB's directions have not been complied with, Costa Frias pointed out. Senior advocate Atmaram Nadkarni, who appeared for the GSPCB, submitted an affidavit and pointed out that the board had carried out inspection of hotels along the colva creek and directions were issued to the panchayat based on the inspection report. During the inspection, it had been observed that raw sewage was directly being discharged into the creek and it was also found that some hotels dumped their garbage and burned it inside the creek. The panchayat's counsel, Galileo Teles, filed an affidavit and stated that the panchayat would take certain steps for stopping the dumping of sewage. However, the bench expressed dissatisfaction and observed that 'people's welfare is paramount in this' and that 'development should be regulated and if you can't regulate it then stop it'. "The restaurants continue to pollute the area. We are of the opinion that until the pollution control board's directions are complied with, the panchayat should not issue any new licences to hotels," the bench further stated. The court thereafter granted ad interim orders and directed the panchayat not to issue fresh trade licences for the setting up of any new hotels along the creek. The court has also directed the panchayat not to pass any orders on pending applications for expansion by hotels operating in the area. All the parties have been directed to complete filing their affidavits by the next hearing, which is fixed for June 15. -- Please post your comments on my Blog: http://goanidentity.blogspot.com/ Please also see below: 1. Benaulim Village Action Committee: http://www.bvacbenaulim.blogspot.com/ 2. "Rape of Goa" : http://www.parrikar.com/blog/the-rape-of-goa/ 3. MAND - an adivasi-rights resource centre : http://mandgoa.blogspot.com/ 4. EVERY GOAN SHOULD SEE THIS VIDEO: http://infochangeindia.org/Infochange-documentary.html 5. Goa's Identity Movement group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com//#/group.php?gid=193497031686 6. Official Government Site NRI Office (GOA): http://www.globalgoans.org.in/
