HC seeks government reply over nod to Mapusa project without sewage plant

PANAJI: The high court of Bombay at Goa has issued notices to the government for granting occupancy certificate to a commercial complex at Bodgeshwar in Mapusa that is in violation of several norms relating to required environmental infrastructure, like a sewage treatment plant (STP).


Goa Foundation, the Bodgeshwar Shetkari Sangh and the Camarkhazan Tenants’ Association have filed a public interest litigation challenging the grant of occupancy certificate to the project.

Notices have been issued to the Goa Pollution Control Board, North Goa Planning and Development Authority, Mapusa Municipal Council, Department of Town and Country Planning (TCP), state of Goa, chief fire officer, and Boshan Developers Pvt Ltd.

The petitioners state that the commercial complex plan initially showed a STP, but allegedly taking advantage of a subsequent regulation notified by the TCP department, the developers got a revised plan without an STP approved instead.

The TCP regulation, introduced under the influence of the real estate lobby, is in direct contravention to the Pollution Control Board’s resolution passed under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the petitioners said.

The planning authority, with full knowledge, approved development plans, which are an alleged fraud, the petitioners said. They said that space shown for parking in one approved plan is shown as a legally required access road in another approved plan. All these issues, including the required STP, solid waste disposal, sewage disposal, access roads and parking impinge on the public rights of citizens, the petitioners stated.

The petitioners have prayed for an order setting aside the clause 14.1.5 of the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations notified in official gazette on December 22, 2016, for an order prohibiting occupation of the building without construction and commissioning of STP, adequate parking as per approved plans of all buildings, access roads and waste disposal facilities.