Goa club blaze: Coast protection body got 2 complaints about property, said it doesn’t have jurisdiction

Two complaints were filed with the Authority – by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil D Divkar in December 2023, and Atmaram D Gadekar in January 2025 – alleging illegal construction and violation of CRZ rules in an ecosensitive zone (salt plan) by the property owner. The complainants alleged that the owner had illegally constructed shops, restaurants, and certain structures. Birch by Romeo Lane was one such contentious structure.

After receiving complaints, the Authority conducted a site inspection and prepared a report. In April, it issued a show-cause notice to the property owner and asked him to explain why a “direction to demolish the structures and to restore land to its original condition should not be issued”.

Its report described the club as a “structure in a hexagon shape of area, approximately 550 square metres, erected in the water body”. It noted that the “ground floor is used as a kitchen and the first floor, with MS channel framework and coconut leaves roofing, is used as a restaurant area, which runs under the title Birch by Romeo Lane”.

According to the minutes of the meeting held in October, the Authority noted that the “structure is outside CRZ area” and it “cannot have jurisdiction in areas not declared and/or notified as CRZ areas”. “The Authority, considering the status of the property and after perusing the documents, decided to discharge the show cause notice and drop the proceedings,” the minutes read.

The property owner had made the same argument in his response to the Authority. He had claimed that the structures are legal and there is no violation of the CRZ notification since they fall beyond the CRZ area of creek/river. The owner relied on a no-objection certificate dated October 31, 1996, issued by the village panchayat, Arpora-Nagoa, to construct a restaurant, staff quarters, compound wall and retaining wall. He also relied on another permission/NOC dated August 12, 2004, for the renovation of the existing restaurant.

Architect and urban planner Tahir Noronha, however, explained that “the final order of the Authority is silent on the concerns raised in the complaints”. “One of the complaints mentions several structures, but they have only looked at the nightclub. It is correct that as per the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), the khazan/salt pan is not marked. Therefore, the nightclub falls outside of CRZ jurisdiction. This is an error of the CZMP, in my opinion. Near the entrance (of the site), there are floating jetties and a bar-like structure. Both clearly fall within the 100 metres of the Baga creek. The floating jetties, while permitted, need prior permission from the Authority. The other structure (which looks like a bar) would not have been allowed, since it is constructed using steel and stone,” Noronha said.

Sachin S Desai, member secretary of the Authority, said, “The order is already uploaded online on our website. We go as per the Coastal Zone Management Plan, which is notified by the state.” On whether the structure is built on a salt pan and whether the water body near the nightclub has a tidal effect, he declined to comment.