PANAJI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) to pay a penalty of Rs 50,000 for repeatedly seeking time to file its reply in sand mining cases pending before it. The tribunal noted that GCZMA had been granted four weeks to file its reply and that even in Aug last year the authority failed to submit its response.
“Therefore, we grant one week’s time to file their affidavit, subject to payment of Rs 50,000 in the account of the National Green Tribunal Bar Association, Western Zone Bench, keeping in view that 12 matters have to be adjourned because the reply affidavit was not filed repeatedly,” the tribunal stated. The matters will be heard on Feb 16.
NGT is hearing 12 appeals filed by the Goa river sand protection network challenging environment clearances (ECs) granted by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (GSEIAA) on Feb 3, 2025, for sand extraction. GSEIAA granted ECs for sand mining over a proposed area of 4.55 hectares, with an extraction capacity of 1,000 cubic metres per annum per permit, to be carried out through the method, subject to conditions.
The appellants contended that the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) notification does not permit sand mining in CRZ areas. They said the ECs allow sand mining in seven zones in the Mandovi river and five zones in the Zuari river, and were issued in violation of law as prior approval from GCZMA was mandatory.
In its order, the NGT observed that activities prohibited in CRZ areas under the CRZ Notification, 2011, include the mining of sand, rocks and other sub-strata materials. “We note an office memorandum issued by the MoEF&CC on April 26, 2022, which lays down that projects in CRZ areas requiring category ‘B’ EC must obtain combined EC and CRZ clearances through GCZMA before SEIAA consideration, a procedure not followed in this case,” the tribunal observed.
