(1.) Rule. By consent, Rule is made returnable forthwith.
(2.) The matter was first listed before a Division Bench (Chief Justice and MS Sonak J) at the seat of the Bombay High Court at Porvorim, Goa on 5/8/2022. After outlining the issue, the Bench was of the view that the matter could be more advantageously be heard by a Full Bench of three Judges. Hence the present Full Bench, which took up the matter at the principal seat since all three of us were presently in Mumbai.
(3.) This Public Interest Writ Petition is filed by the Goa Foundation, an environment NGO based in Goa, and represented by Ms Alvares. Over several decades, the Goa Foundation has approached this court and the Supreme Court in the public interest, litigating questions regarding environmental protection in various forms. The members of the Petitioner are all Indian citizens. We are satisfied with the bona fides of the Petitioner, and, indeed, these are not questioned in the Writ Petition.