The National Green Tribunal (NGT), while adjourning the hearing in the third Mandovi bridge case to December, has directed the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), to expeditiously reconsider the application for grant of CRZ clearance along with recommendations forwarded to it and dispose of such applications within four weeks. The NGT said that at this stage, the Advocate General for state of Goa on behalf of the state and state authorities has given an undertaking to move SEIAA for grant of CRZ clearance in accordance with the provisions of the CRZ regulations 2011 within a week and submits that in view of such undertaking the order that is passed be stayed. The NGT also said, We accept the undertaking and stay our own order, subject to its compliance. We further direct the SEIAA to expeditiously consider the application for grant of CRZ clearance along with recommendations forwarded to it and dispose of such applications within four weeks. The order was issued in response to the petition filed by Goa Foundation, wherein in a fresh move it had challenged the manner in which CRZ clearance was obtained for the project by a temporary committee constituted under the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority in August. The NGT had initially imposed a stay on the project, however following a request from the government counsel, it stayed its order.
www.navhindtimes.in 2011