Bombay HC gives green signal for Goa shacks

PANAJI:THE Bombay high court at Goa on Monday set aside a National Green Tribunal stay on a Goa government policy of allowing temporary and seasonal restaurant shacks on beaches, saying it results in no “adverse impact” on the environment.

The NGT on September 13 stayed the policy until the Goa government submitted the final Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), which has been pending since 2014.

A bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Justice Sonak said that there “is no evidence of adverse impact on the environment on account of the shacks”. It added consequently the shack policy was unlikely to have a bearing on the CZMP preparation. “The tourist season having commenced in the state of Goa and keeping in view the large employment generated, we dispose of the petition staying the operation of the NGT order to the State of Goa. We permit the state to implement the shack policy 2019-22,” the court said. It said that the CZMP should be finalised as soon as possible and preferably by the date the NGT has specified–november 15.

The Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS) welcomed the court order and hoped the process of allocating shacks will be speeded up. “We are happy with the order of the high court offering us relief and permitting the setting up of shacks. We hope to be up and running in the next few weeks,” said SOWS president Cruz Cardozo.

Shacks in Goa have been given a special status and are allowed to be set up as temporary and seasonal structures along the beaches. The shack policy envisages setting up of 364 shacks across Goa.