Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, May 7: Bombay High Court at Goa has restrained a new casino vessel from entering the Mandovi river in Panaji without prior court approval and mandatory certifications, amid growing public opposition over environmental and navigational concerns.

The interim direction was issued by a Division Bench comprising Justices Amit S. Jamsandekar and Valmiki Menezes while hearing a public interest litigation filed by the association ‘Enough is Enough’ along with petitioners Sudip Tamankar and Harish Madkaikar.

The petition challenged permissions granted to Delta Pleasure Cruise Company Pvt Ltd for replacing its existing casino vessel ‘M.V. Royale Flotel’, which has a passenger capacity of 70, with the much larger ‘M.V. Deltin Royale’, capable of accommodating over 2,000 passengers.

The court observed that the new vessel currently does not possess a certificate of survey and therefore cannot sail into the Panaji port in the Mandovi river without securing all required approvals.

The bench further directed that even if the vessel obtains the necessary certifications, it cannot enter the port without prior permission from the court.

During the hearing, counsel for Delta Pleasure Cruise Company informed the court that the vessel is presently berthed at Mormugao Port Trust and is unlikely to enter the Mandovi river before the onset of the monsoon season.

The Goa government, through an affidavit filed by the Secretary of the Home Department, also assured the court that any decision permitting casino operations on the new vessel would first be placed before the court before issuing approval.

Residents of Panaji and nearby areas have voiced strong opposition to the entry of the massive 112-metre-long and 28-metre-wide casino vessel, alleging that it could adversely impact the ecology of the Mandovi river and affect the livelihood of local fisherfolk.

The petitioners argued that the passenger capacity of the proposed vessel alone exceeds the combined capacity of the six offshore casino vessels currently operating in the river.

They also contended that the Goa Gambling Act does not provide for automatic replacement of casino vessels and that the new vessel would require a fresh licence, particularly because gaming permissions are linked to passenger capacity.

The matter is expected to be taken up for further hearing after the monsoon period.