NGT junks plea challenging clearance to hotel in South Goa

The National Green Tribunal Monday junked a plea challenging the environment clearance granted to a company for setting up a hotel in South Goa, noting the project had undergone sufficient scrutiny at every level.

A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore dismissed the plea by residents of Arossim village in South Goa who had claimed that there was no cumulative impact study undertaken and there is severe problem of water logging in the area due to large number of hotels.

The NGT, however, directed the project proponent to comply with various conditions given in the environment clearance and Coastal Regulation Zones clearance.

"It is therefore clear from the submissions made and materials placed on record by the respondents that the project has undergone sufficient scrutiny at every level, at state as well as at the level of MoEF, and all concerns of the appellants have been addressed. We, therefore, hold that there is no merit in the present appeal and it deserves to be dismissed," the bench said.

The tribunal also said that a look to the sequence of events in the present case shows that a thorough consideration by the authorities concerned as the process envisaged under the Notification of 2006 had been followed.

The tribunal's judgement came on a plea filed by The Cansaulim-Arrossim-Cuelim Civic and Cansaulim Villagers Action Committee challenging the environmental clearance granted to Competent Automobiles Pvt. Ltd on July 28, 2017, by the Environment Ministry to establish a hotel in Arrossim Village, in South Goa District.

It has been alleged that no cumulative impact study was done as there are number of guest houses and hotels nearby and one under construction by the name Goa Inn and due to large number of hotels there is severe problem of water logging in the area.

Appellants have stated that there has been misrepresentation regarding existence of sand dunes.

It was also alleged that there have also been misrepresentation regarding existing road as existence of 10 metre wide road has been stated in the environmental impact assessment report whereas width of road does not exceed 4.5 metre.

The petitioners had alleged that there has been misrepresentation of facts in Form I and IA so that site was shown in Karnataka, which is about 200 km away, and existence of six water bodies and two storm water drains were not disclosed.