Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, May 24: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to multiple Goa government departments over a petition challenging the legality of nine private-cum-commercial jetties constructed near the ecologically sensitive Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary on Chorao Island along the Mandovi River.

The notices, which are returnable within four weeks, have been served to the Chief Secretary of Goa, Captain of Ports, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), Forest Department, and five other respondents.

Environmentalists Dikshay Phadte and Ajit Volvoikar filed the petition, arguing that the permissions granted to the jetties violate the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of 2011. They contended that non-fishing jetties in tidal water bodies designated as fish breeding and eco-sensitive zones contravene the guidelines.

The petition also seeks the NGT’s intervention to direct the Forest Department to prepare a zonal master plan for the eco-sensitive zone around the sanctuary and prevent similar jetty developments in Goa’s traditional fishing villages.

During a preliminary hearing, the NGT bench comprising Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Dr Vijay Kulkarni accepted the plea and ordered that all nine jetty owners be made respondents. This would enable the tribunal to consider prohibiting any unauthorized commercial activity on the jetties.

The petitioners argued that Clause 3 of the CRZ Notification permits only essential fishing-related infrastructure in such areas. They alleged that the jetties in question are being used for commercial purposes that fall outside the permitted scope.

The tribunal's next hearing is expected to shape the regulatory future of jetty operations near protected coastal regions in Goa.