Amidst the surge in Covid-19 cases and ongoing curfew, a beach in Goa has managed to make waves, with the construction of a ‘retaining wall’.
The construction of a retaining wall along North Goa’s Vainguinim beach by the promoters of an adjoining five-star resort has angered locals all over, which has called the wall illegal; even as the hospitality group, Fomento Resorts and Hotels Limited, has maintained that the wall is being built in its own property and with permissions from the State government’s Water Resources department.
The issue erupted after a local resident uploaded photos of a JCB being used on the beach for the construction of the wall last month. While officials of the local village and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) have inspected the construction site, local residents as well as green activists have questioned the inability of the Government in Goa to stop the construction of the wall, calling it a violation and encroachment of public property, even as the Authority has issued a show cause notice to the hotel management.
The construction of a retaining wall along North Goa’s Vainguinim beach by the promoters of an adjoining five-star resort has angered locals all over, which has called the wall illegal; even as the hospitality group, Fomento Resorts and Hotels Limited, has maintained that the wall is being built in its own property and with permissions from the State government
When asked, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the GCZMA was ‘examining the matter’. Reacting to the criticism, Fomento Resorts and Hotels Limited has issued a public statement claiming that the construction work was being carried out after consulting a government agency. “Fomento Resorts and Hotels Limited has undertaken only repair work on the retaining wall in thier own property to prevent further erosion of the beach and restore damage from heavy rains over the past two years,” the statement said.
The coastal body had deputed two expert members Sujeetkumar Dongre and Savio Correia to carry out a site inspection at the beach. The committee’s report concluded that the party had violated the conditions, as cement concrete was used instead of eco-friendly material.
Cement concrete structures are prohibited on the beach and within inter-tidal Coastal Regulation Zone (IB) – a highly ecological area, the report stated.
Further, the report stated that the construction of the linear wall along the beach is new work and not repairs under no-objection certificate obtained by the party. The expert members had recommended issuance of stop work order to prevent further damage to the ecologically fragile inter tidal zone. They suggested restoration of the beach to its original condition, stating that the excavated beach area also needs nourishment.
GCZMA had issued a showcause notice recently to the party, stating that the entire zone is designated as a no-development zone, being within 100m and hence no construction is permissible.
Social activists move court for Vainguinim wall demolition
A group of social activists have moved the District & Sessions Court seeking demolition of the concrete barricade on Vainguinim beach, work which was completed, amidst opposition from the locals.
Activists Kashnath Shetye, Inacio Domnick Pereira and others have filed a plea in the court seeking demolition of the structure; stating that it is an illegal activity committed on the High Tide Line and a violation of an order by Supreme Court in January 2009; and also rights of the people visiting the public beach.
The Vainguinim locals had stated that they will move the authorities seeking a demolition order claiming that it violates the conditions of the permissions granted by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) for repair work as well as the CRZ notification.
Numerous posts on social media continue berating the construction work and the use of concrete on the beach, which is not permitted in the CRZ no development zone. Heritage activist Prajal Sakhardande and environment focused NGO Goa Foundation have also termed it as destruction of the Vainguinim beach
Pic: @savevainguinim (Twitter)
