Latest news with #Goa-SEIAA
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Green body issues stop-work order to Bambolim project
Panaji: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) has issued an order asking Worldwide Resorts and Entertainment to stop work on its project at Bambolim. St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar had protested at the site, alleging a number of illegalities. Several activists have also filed complaints with various authorities like the WRD, alleging that the digging was carried out too deep into the ground, damaging aquifers. 'It has come to the notice of this authority that construction is being undertaken in property bearing survey nos. 14/1, 14/2, 15/1, 16/1, 17/1, 17/2, 17/3, 18/1, 19/1, 19/2, 19/3, 20/1, 20/2, 20/3, 21/1 to 8, 31/1, 35/1, plot no. 358 of Bambolim village, Tiswadi taluka, without obtaining prior environment clearance as prescribed under the ElA Notification 2006,' the Goa-SEIAA has said. The application for environmental clearance is pending before the authority. 'Now therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, you are hereby directed to stop work with immediate effect. Further, you are directed to ensure that no civil work whatsoever is carried out at the said site. Failure to comply with the directions shall attract action under Section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which includes imprisonment/fine,' the notice to Worldwide Resorts and Entertainment said. Recently, the Goa State Expert Appraisal Committee (Goa-SEAC) had recommended conversion of the controversial project at Bambolim from residential to commercial. This was despite officials finding during inspections that there appeared to be a rupture of the aquifers and substantial hill-cutting.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Environment body issues fee deadline for green approvals
Panaji: The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) has now set a time limit for project proponents to pay the processing fee for the application seeking environmental clearance (EC). The authority noted that several project proponents were not paying the required fee. It has now set a limit of payment of 60% fees within five days of submitting the application. 'The authority, upon reviewing the financial statement, noted a delay in payment of processing fees by project proponents after applying for environmental clearance. During the discussion, the authority decided that PPs shall pay 60% of the processing fees within five working days of submission of the application. The balance amount shall be paid before the project proposal is placed before the Goa-SEIAA,' the authority has said at its recent meeting. The Goa-SEIAA had recently also decided to hike the fine imposed on project proponents for not submitting their six-monthly compliance reports on time, as required by the respective projects' EC conditions. The fine has been hiked from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000. A notification dated Nov 26, 2018, issued by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) has made it mandatory for project proponents to submit six-monthly compliance reports. The compliance reports ensure that the project proponents are meeting the conditions set in the EIA, such as mitigation measures to reduce air and water pollution, among others. In Nov 2021, the Goa-SEIAA had noted that several project proponents in the state were not meeting this requirement.
