TBM Staff - Mumbai
Following High Court contempt notices, joint demolition drive by Tourism Dept and GCZMA (Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority) targets unauthorized shacks and restaurants at Vagator.
The clean-up drive at Vagator beach saw the removal of a well-known hotel, following a court mandate to address coastal zone violations.
December 14 marked a turning point for Vagator beach as the High Court ordered the Tourism Department to clear encroachments, restoring the public beach and ensuring no commercial operations take place within illegally occupied zones.
Ignoring a court order can have serious consequences. The Tourism Director’s inaction against illegal commercial activity at Vagator beach puts them at risk of legal repercussions.
Petitioner alleges Director’s inaction allowed D’Souza and Coutinho to carry on commercial activity within the illegal structures.
The Director of Tourism’s delay in acting against illegal activity at Vagator could land them in serious legal trouble.
Sources reported that despite the GTDC’s (Goa Tourism Development Corporation) demolition order against concrete structures, steps, and other CRZ violations at Vagator beach, only two steps were demolished. The rest of the illegal constructions remain standing.
