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North Goa Residents Oppose Resort by Club Mahindra, Fear Groundwater Pollution

Reported by

Nihar Gokhale

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

September 18, 2018

May 17, 2022

Edited on

September 18, 2018

State

Goa

Sector

Industry

People Affected by Conflict

100

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

46

ha

Starting Year

2016

Location of Conflict

Moitem, Assonora

North Goa

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Tourism

Land Conflict Summary

The residents of Moitem and Assonora villages in North Goa's Bardez tehsil have opposed a 200room resort proposed by Club Mahindra Holidays. Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited purchased the private property in 2012 and received environment clearance to build the resort in March 2013 from the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority. The clearance was extended by two years in March 2018. But the project was opposed after construction work began in 2016. The village residents claim that the project has been proposed in an ecosensitive zone that was originally barred from development under the 2001 edition of the state's landuse plan, known as Regional Plan. However, the 2021 Regional Plan, which was prepared around 2011, allows development on the plot. Goencho Awaz, an environmental action collective, has pointed out that the project is situated close to the Assonora river and has accused the firm of dumping debris into the river. The villagers have further pointed out that the resort is located close to the government's Assonora Water Treatment Plant that supplies water to large areas of the district. They fear that even a minor wastewater leakage would endanger water security in the region. They also fear loss of groundwater because the project is located at a site that recharges groundwater. The residents have held several public meetings to oppose the project and are contemplating further action.
A company spokesperson denied the allegations and told LCW that Club Mahindra did not seek reclassification of the land use in the Regional Plan. He added that the construction is being carried out as per conditions laid down by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and the State Pollution Control Board.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Environmental Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006
Clause 2 [Prior environmental clearance required by appropriate authority for new projects falling in the Schedule]; Clause 7(III) [Prior to the grant of a clearance, a public consultation shall be conducted where the concerns of the local affected persons and those who have a stake in the environmental impacts of the project are ascertained and taken into account]
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
Section 24 [Prohibition on disposal of polluting material into a stream]
Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act, 2008
Section 16 [All development programmes undertaken within an area shall conform to the provisions of the regional plan]
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  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

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    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Violation of environmental laws

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, State Pollution Control Board

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

A company spokesperson denied the allegations and told LCW that Club Mahindra did not seek reclassification of the land use in the Regional Plan. He added that the construction is being carried out as per conditions laid down by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and the State Pollution Control Board.

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

A company spokesperson denied the allegations and told LCW that Club Mahindra did not seek reclassification of the land use in the Regional Plan. He added that the construction is being carried out as per conditions laid down by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and the State Pollution Control Board.

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

The residents of Moitem and Assonora villages in North Goa's Bardez tehsil have opposed a 200room resort proposed by Club Mahindra Holidays. Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited purchased the private property in 2012 and received environment clearance to build the resort in March 2013 from the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority. The clearance was extended by two years in March 2018. But the project was opposed after construction work began in 2016. The village residents claim that the project has been proposed in an ecosensitive zone that was originally barred from development under the 2001 edition of the state's landuse plan, known as Regional Plan. However, the 2021 Regional Plan, which was prepared around 2011, allows development on the plot. Goencho Awaz, an environmental action collective, has pointed out that the project is situated close to the Assonora river and has accused the firm of dumping debris into the river. The villagers have further pointed out that the resort is located close to the government's Assonora Water Treatment Plant that supplies water to large areas of the district. They fear that even a minor wastewater leakage would endanger water security in the region. They also fear loss of groundwater because the project is located at a site that recharges groundwater. The residents have held several public meetings to oppose the project and are contemplating further action.
A company spokesperson denied the allegations and told LCW that Club Mahindra did not seek reclassification of the land use in the Regional Plan. He added that the construction is being carried out as per conditions laid down by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and the State Pollution Control Board.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Private

Type of Common Land

Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

Total investment involved (in Crores):

Type of investment:

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Environmental Laws, Other

Legislations/Policies Involved

Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006
Clause 2 [Prior environmental clearance required by appropriate authority for new projects falling in the Schedule]; Clause 7(III) [Prior to the grant of a clearance, a public consultation shall be conducted where the concerns of the local affected persons and those who have a stake in the environmental impacts of the project are ascertained and taken into account]
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
Section 24 [Prohibition on disposal of polluting material into a stream]
Goa (Regulation of Land Development and Building Construction) Act, 2008
Section 16 [All development programmes undertaken within an area shall conform to the provisions of the regional plan]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Violation of environmental laws

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Complaints/petitions/letters/memorandums to officials

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, State Pollution Control Board

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

A company spokesperson denied the allegations and told LCW that Club Mahindra did not seek reclassification of the land use in the Regional Plan. He added that the construction is being carried out as per conditions laid down by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and the State Pollution Control Board.

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

A company spokesperson denied the allegations and told LCW that Club Mahindra did not seek reclassification of the land use in the Regional Plan. He added that the construction is being carried out as per conditions laid down by the Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and the State Pollution Control Board.

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch
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