A vacation bench of the High Court on Monday directed the Goa government and the respondent authorities to immediately halt all construction activity and secure a coastal property in Cavelossim, Salcete, after urgently hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging the illegal flattening of sand dunes by the private respondent, M/s Ashford SCDC Resorts LLP.

The High Court observed that, prima facie, the developer appeared to have violated the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, and the Goa Panchayat Raj Act.

The Court noted that photographs submitted by the petitioners prima facie showed the destruction of sand dunes on the property, bearing Survey No. 99/2-E, and that the destruction had continued despite prior notices.
Accordingly, the Court directed the South Goa Collector, the Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of Salcete, the Block Development Officer, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), the Colva Police, and the Cavelossim Village Panchayat to forthwith ensure that no work of any nature is carried out on the property. The authorities were also directed to secure the site and prevent unauthorised access. The matter has been posted for further hearing on November 11, 2026.

The PIL has been filed by Cavelossim residents Iris Henriques Passanha and Shalton Fernandes to protect the village’s coastal ecology. It notes that sand dunes act as a natural defence against the sea.

The 22,885-square-metre plot lies between the Arabian Sea and the River Sal. It falls partly within the CRZ-III 0–200 metre No Development Zone, partly within the CRZ-III 200–500 metre zone, partly within the River No Development Zone, and partly within CRZ-IA, which covers sand dunes.

Between March and May 2026, Ashford SCDC Resorts LLP obtained approvals from the GCZMA on March 25, the Town and Country Planning Department on May 4, and the Cavelossim Village Panchayat on May 8. However, these permissions were strictly limited to the erection of bio-fencing—made of wood or biodegradable material, with the use of concrete expressly prohibited—in the 0–200 metre zone, and a compound wall in the 200–500 metre zone. The GCZMA clearance was granted subject to the explicit condition that no sand dunes be disturbed.

According to the petition, the developer allegedly breached these conditions by erecting 3.60-metre-high metal-sheet fencing on metal poles, some of which were set in concrete pedestals, within the No Development Zone. It further alleged that gravel was laid, laterite stones and rubble were stacked, and a sand dune measuring approximately 100 metres in length and 8 to 10 metres in height was flattened.
The petition also states that a display board announcing a “Luxury Wellness Resort” as “coming soon” was affixed to the site’s fencing, despite no permission having been granted for any resort project.