Recover damages from 148 violators in 30 days: NGT

Panaji: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed concern over Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority’s (GCZMA) efforts to recover environmental compensation in only four cases of CRZ violations.

The coastal body is working out the environmental compensation in 241 cases of CRZ violations. The Tribunal has asked the GCZMA to work out and recover the compensation in all the 148 pending cases within 30 days, failing which the NGT has stated that it will levy the penalty of Rs 2 crore on GCZMA.

Based on the GCZMA’s earlier assurances, the NGT order imposing the penalty of Rs 2 crore was kept in suspension.

In 27 cases, the violators have raised objections, stating that they had already paid some kind of penalty. The GCZMA began calculating the environmental compensation recently after it, and for the first time, it arrived at a formula to scientifically arrive at the cost of the damage caused due to the violation.

“We are little concerned by the fact which has been mentioned by the counsel for respondent No. 1 (GCZMA) in this affidavit that recovery of environmental compensation could be made only in four cases, while in 27 matters, it is alleged that some objections have been raised pertaining to some earlier penalty to have been levied by the authorities based on the said violations, raising further objections for further environmental compensation,” the NGT said, in a matter related to the recovery of the environmental compensation from violators.

The GCZMA has told the Tribunal that the coastal body would be issuing a clarification in this regard.

“There is vagueness as to what clarification they would give. We want what amount of environmental compensation has been ordered to be levied, should be ensured, and that the same is levied on the violators. Let the clarification be given to us before the next date. We expect that the GCZMA shall complete its task within 30 days, failing which the order which is kept in suspension of subjecting respondent No. 1 to the penalty of Rs 2 crore would be brought into force,” the NGT said.

The Tribunal will hear the matter next on August 16.

In its meeting held on May 11, 2023, the GCZMA decided to constitute a fresh committee to assess and calculate the environmental compensation in the remaining 148 cases within a time frame of 30 days, the coastal body told the Tribunal.