The Bombay High Court at Goa has asked the Government of Goa to respond to a petition challenging the decision to allow a 2,000-guest capacity casino and entertainment boat to berth in the River Mandovi.
The petitioners, who live on both sides of the river, have alleged that the permission was granted despite objections from the Captain of Ports and the Secretary of Ports, citing navigational hazards.
They argue that the new vessel, which is seven storeys tall and 112 metres long, will create a bottleneck at the mooring positions and have catastrophic problems due to the rise of anti-social elements and increased traffic.
The petitioners also claim that the Goa government cannot replace a vessel with a capacity of 70 with another vessel of 2,000 capacity without considering all aspects.
The state government is expected to file its reply by Friday.
