SURAJ RAVINDRA CHODANKAR Vs. STATE OF GOA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Public Interest Litigation is filed by two Petitioners, being aggrieved by the ongoing construction of 8 villas with a swimming pool on survey No. 51/2021 of Oxel Village, Siolim, Bardez, Goa.

(2.) The petitioner No. 1 has described himself to be a resident of Siolim who is actively involved in opposing the private villa project for the reasons which gave a cause for him to file the PIL petition. Petitioner No. 2 is a public spirited person, a journalist by profession, who has been a part of several movements to protect the ecological assets of Goa.

(3.) The petitioners raised two-fold objections to the proposed upcoming constructions by respondent Nos. 6, 7 and 8; the first being, the construction coming within 33 metres of Oxel spring officially known as "Our Lady of the Sea Church Spring, Oxel", a water body which deserves protection in terms of order passed by this Court in Writ Petition No. 772/2023. The second point of objection of the petitioners is of not having a 6 metres wide road leading to the project instead, what is made available is only a 4 metres wide road.