Goa Green Brigade has demanded immediate legal action and an environmental damage assessment over the alleged large-scale destruction of mangroves along the Moira riverbank and in survey number 33/1 in Bardez, putting the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) and state departments under pressure to respond.
In a letter dated October 12 to the GCZMA, the forest department and the department of environment and climate change, the environmental group said more than four months had passed without an audit of the damage or information about action taken on its complaint. It has sought a copy of an action-taken report within 30 days.
The group has asked authorities to identify the mangroves destroyed, assess the impact on marine biodiversity and begin restoration. It has also demanded that the costs of environmental damage and mangrove restoration be recovered from those responsible for the alleged destruction.
Goa Green Brigade convener Avertino Miranda described the mangroves along the Moira coast as a vital intertidal ecosystem. He said they help protect shorelines and support marine biodiversity and fish breeding grounds.
The demands include criminal and punitive action against the alleged offenders, along with an assessment of the impact on marine life. The group warned that it would pursue legal measures if the authorities failed to respond within the requested 30-day period.
The complaint places responsibility for the next steps across multiple agencies. The GCZMA is the authority addressed by the group, while the forest department and the department of environment and climate change have also been asked to act. The environmental group has specifically criticised the delay in assessing the alleged damage, saying that neither an environmental audit nor an action-taken report had been provided.
The issue highlights the administrative importance of documenting damage before restoration begins. The group’s demands cover not only enforcement against those allegedly responsible but also an assessment of ecological impact, restoration work and recovery of costs. No findings from an official damage audit or marine biodiversity assessment were included in the report.
The forest department did not comment on the matter. The next stated milestone is the Goa Green Brigade’s demand for an action-taken report within 30 days, failing which the group has said it will consider appropriate legal measures.
