The Supreme Court ordered a stay on the construction of Tiracol Bridge on 10 July. The Supreme Court finally heard the points made by Goa Foundation NGO and asked to stop construction of a 77 crore-worth bridge.
The Goa Foundation filed a petition against the construction of a bridge on the Tericol river before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2015. NGT did order a stay in construction as it was approved that construction was a complete violation of the Costal Regulation Zone (CRZ). Querim beach, the nearby region of construction, comes under the Costal Regulation Zone. To preserve the outstanding natural beauty of that place, it is declared as a Non-Developmental Zone. And therefore, that kind of construction wasn't allowed there.
The bridge construction was initiated by the government stating the reason that it is a public facility. But Goa Foundation provided evidence saying there are only 50 families in Tericol and there is no conviction that the government will spend Rs. 77 crore just for the sake of 50 families to be connected to the mainland. According to evidence put by an NGO, this bridge was meant for the private golf course resort in Tericol. The bridge was designed by golf course promoters from Singapore itself to provide a fantastic entry to the resort.
During the period of time, the cost of construction increased, which led the Goa government to take a loan from NABARD (National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development).
But in 2020, NGT and Bombay HC Goa bench dismissed the application filed by NGO, after which NGO appealed to the SC and the SC finally ordered a stay. Further hearings will take place on August 18.
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