Will NGT, Bombay high court repeat Sri Sri event order for DefExpo?
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 22 March 2016 23:04 ISTThe Orixtt Porjecho Avaz has approached the Bombay high court at Goa as well as the National Green Tribunal in Delhi against the four-day Defence Expo scheduled on the Quitol plateau near Betul from 28 March.
In both the petitions, the protesting villagers have asked to restrain the government authorities from holding the mega event.
In view of a fine of Rs 120 crore levied on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s World Cultural Festival by the NGT this month for damaging banks of Yamuna, the OPA expects the court to adopt a similar approach for DefExpo.
Against Sri Sri event held on 1000 acres of land by attracting 35 lakh people, the DefExpo is being held on 150 acres of land where over one lakh visitors are expected from all over the world.
According to information, both the petitions have been admitted and Goa government has been asked to file an affidavit by tomorrow before the Bombay high court.
As the international exhibition is hardly five days away, the courts are expected to conduct speedy hearings and pass orders regarding interim reliefs prayed by the petitioners.
The prime arguments put forward by the OPA in the petition are not taking the local village panchayat into confidence while also not complying with necessary permissions from several authorities.
These authorities include Town & Country Planning Department, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Heath Department, Biodiversity Board, Chief Wildlife Warden and Directorate of Science, Technology and Environment
According to OPA, the villagers have been kept completely in dark while the event would generate huge amount of sewage as well as liquid and solid waste for which no necessary permissions have been taken.
Quoting defence officials from media reports, the OPA has expressed fear of dangerous activities being carried out adjacent to the localities for which the organisers are arranging 10,000 bottles of blood and 20 ambulances.
The villagers have also asked for the project report of the DefExpo, the feasibility report carried out, scientific study conducted as well as permissions, clearances and NOCs sought from the respective authorities.
Why only Defenceexpoz? The pollution control board, NGT, High court, health dept, food n drug admn shud thoriughly review licensing of roadside dhabas, gaddad, restaurants, fish market where decomposed food is served. Even beach shacks must be banned and clised. Similarly dozens of stadiums which has destroyed the agricultural land.
NGT, Mumbai High Court, Pollution Control board, food drug admn, health dept should take serious view and review all the roadside dhabas, eateries, fish market where rotten n decomposed fish is sold. It should also review the dozens of stadiums of Goa which has destroyed agricultural fields.
Please note, ngt has not fined art of Living organisation with Rupees 120crores. Rather it has asked the organisation to pay Rupees 5 crore for building bio-diversity Park. And the case is still under judiciary. Please correct your facts in the above article