MARGAO, March 6 -- Team Herald

The High Court (HC) of Bombay at Goa has directed government authorities to take immediate action against businesses polluting Salpem Lake in Navelim and the River Sal. The court has ordered the Deputy Collector of South Goa and the Salcete Mamlatdar to enforce the Goa State Pollution Control Board's (GSPCB) directives and seal establishments violating environmental regulations without delay. The Margao Municipal Council (MMC) has also been instructed to implement its closure orders, which had previously been ignored.

The intervention follows a report by Amicus Curiae Neha Shirodkar, appointed in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Navelim resident Professor Antonio Alvares. The report,...