Daijiworld Media Network - Panaji

Panaji, Mar 17: The Goa High Court has issued notices to the Goa Government, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Chief Wildlife Warden, Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the ecologically sensitive nesting habitat of Olive Ridley turtles at Mhairi (Dream Beach) in Vagator.

The PIL, filed by the Chameleon Wildlife Organisation, alleges a “systematic failure” of authorities to control illegal activities harming the endangered species.

The petition highlights that the beach recorded 1,868 eggs in early 2024 alone, but nesting is being disrupted by loud music, bright LED lights, laser beams from shore establishments, commercial fishing vessels, and routine firework displays.

The organisation warned that artificial lighting disorients hatchlings, causing them to move inland instead of the sea, putting their survival at risk. The High Court has scheduled the hearing for 23 March.