PANAJI: Less than two months ago, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, chaired by IAS officer Arun Kumar Mishra, brushed aside a report by its three-member committee on "gross violations" against the owner of the property on which the nightclub Birch by Romeo Lane stood, a British citizen named Surinder Kumar Khosla, and dropped proceedings against him. Khosla had leased the land to Birch by Romeo Lane.
The committee, which included an expert and two members of the coastal authority, said there were "alleged gross illegal constructions resulting in violations of CRZ notification 2011" and recommended that it should be deliberated by the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) at its meeting and taken up for "further discussion".
But without discussing or deliberating, coastal authority turned a blind eye to "gross violations" report and dropped proceedings on Oct 9 "There is no violation of CRZ notification in as much as the structures in question fall beyond CRZ area of the creek/ river," the coastal authority said, adding it does not have jurisdiction in areas not declared or notified as CRZ (Coastal Regulatory Zone).
After the inspection, the committee had reported that the "RCC permanent structure is constructed fully into the water body" and there were neither permissions nor NOCs from authorities concerned for the construction of a concrete structure.
The committee found a RCC ground-plus-one structure "in roughly hexagon shape", which "is erected in water body... ground floor is used as kitchen and storeroom area", and the first floor, with coconut leaf roofing, is used as a restaurant.
It was on the first floor that a fire broke out Saturday, killing 25 people, after electric firecrackers hit the ceiling as a belly dancer and her troupe performed.
But the coastal authority, chaired by Mishra who is now posted in Delhi, dismissed the report and accepted the argument that "there is no environmental cause".
The Arpora-Nagoa panchayat had on Oct 31, 1996 issued an NOC to construct a restaurant, staff quarters, compound wall, and later another NOC on Aug 12, 2004 to renovate the restaurant.
Despite the committee attaching a Google image and the coastal zone management plan (CZMP) extract, which showed the alleged violations, the coastal authority noted "that the CZMP for Goa had already been notified. The CZM indicates that the subject matter ground-plus-one RCC structure is outside the CRZ area".
The coastal authority report was the consequence of a complaint by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar Shetye on Dec 21, 2023, regarding illegal construction of Birch by Romeo Lane.
Agencies pass the buck after wetland vanishes
New Delhi: Who is responsible for a wetland near Wazirabad disappearing? The National Green Tribunal is no closer to finding an answer despite the the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Central Pollution Control Board submitting their replies.
On July 16, 2025, The Times of India had reported that the wetland had been filled up using inert waste from the Bhalswa landfill. The report highlighted that the Jharoda pond, which supported rich plant and bird life until 2023, had been buried under inert waste allegedly brought from the Bhalswa landfill..
Taking suo motu cognizance of the report titled 'Find it if you can. Wetland near Wazirabad vanished under inert waste', the tribunal had issued notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the North district magistrate, and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) seeking an explanation on the matter. Only MCD and CPCB have responded so far, with both shifting blame to other agencies.
In its submissions MCD said it was the responsibility of the private concessionaire appointed to flatten the Bhalswa landfill to ensure the inert material was disposed of correctly. It also said that the site belongs to DDA.
In its reply, MCD said it was not "dumping any form of waste at any wetland in the Wazirabad and Timarpur areas". "The said site, where it has been alleged that waste is being dumped, is owned by Delhi Development Authority," it said.
The civic body further stated that it was merely following a 2019 order by the tribunal to dispose of 30 lakh MT of legacy waste from the Bhalswa landfill site, while adding that it received a request from DDA to facilitate the supply of bioremediated inert material on May 24, 2023. It added that the agency was neither involved in the process of identification of the site nor in the decision-making process.
The DDA order shared by MCD said, "this office permits to supply inert and C&D material at DDA vacant low-lying area at both sides of the Marginal Bandh at Jharoda Majra, Burari."
CPCB, meanwhile, said it had issued directions in 2021 under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to all the State Pollution Control Boards and the Pollution Control Committees for the enforcement of provisions of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
"DPCC shall monitor and ensure compliance with the directions issued... DPCC shall also ensure enforcement of provisions of the SWM Rules 2016 by the concerned local authorities in Delhi," stated CPCB in a submission dated October 27, made available on Dec 9.
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