Casinos restrained from throwing waste in Mandovi
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 03 September 2013 23:26 IST
The National Green Tribunal of Supreme Court today restrained all the offshore from throwing any material in river Mandovi while also not allowing any new casino to come in.
A petition in this regard was filed by Congress spokesperson Sudip Tamankar.
The NGT has fixed next hearing on 30 September while transferring the case to the newly constitued bench in Pune.
Referring to NGT guidelines to the state pollution control boards to shut down all restaurants for not having waste disposal plants, Tamankar had approached the tribunal with a plea to include all the offshore casinos under it.
“... by virtue of establishing such offshore casinos and hotels on the bank of river Mandovi in Goa, it causes environmental pollution apart from the hazardous waste polluting the river. Considering the issues raised which is of grave nature, we are of the view that balance of convenience in granting an interim order is in favour of the public at large”, stated the order.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board has been directed to conduct inspection of all the offshore casinos and filed a report by 30 September.
The tribunal has also issued notices to the state government, GSPCB, Captain of Ports, City Corporation of Panaji as well as the casino operators.
The order was issued ex-parte today, without hearing the respondents.
