Panaji (Goa): The State Government has identified 13 sites across Goa which are notified as dumping sites for construction debris only.  

The Goa bench of Bombay High Court today directed that all the Municipalities and Panchayats to incorporate the construction licenses that disposal of the construction debris would be the responsibility of the licensee, from April 1 onwards. The Court further directed punitive action against Panchayats and Municipalities who fail to take action against the violators.

The government’s submission and subsequent direction of the court comes when contempt petition filed by Advocate Aires Rodrigues over the inaction of the authorities on the continued dumping of debris and garbage along the Panaji-Old Goa bypass road, came up for further hearing before the Division Bench of the comprising of Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Prithviraj Chavan . 

 Rodrigues in his contempt petition has pointed out that in 2007 a Public Interest Litigation was filed over the rampant dumping of building debris along the Panaji-Old Goa bypass road and that taking serious note of the gross violations of law, various orders came to be passed by the High Court in that petition which was finally disposed on June 26, 2008 based on a Minutes of Order that was signed and submitted to the Court. During the last hearing the Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande had assured the court to submit a list of dumping sites. 

Rodrigues has further stated that in the Minutes of Order the Goa Government had undertaken to continue and take to its logical conclusion investigations into the dumping of construction debris on the Panaji-Old Goa bypass.  He also stated that in the Minutes of Order amongst other things the Government had also undertaken that ‘within three months it would identify and designate separate places for safe disposal of building debris without harming the environment besides also having undertaken to within three months identify and place at proper convenient locations public receptacles, depots or places for temporary deposit or collection of non-biodegradable garbage.’

 Stating that it was very appalling that the authorities have been turning a Nelson’s eye to this gross violation of law and acting contrary to the solemn undertaking given to the Court, Adv Rodrigues has stated that the blatant and continued gross inaction of the government on the issue amounts to scant respect to the Majesty of the highest Court of the State. The matter is adjourned for further hearing on April 9.