JUDGMENT/ORDER

M.S.SONAK, J. - This Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation was triggered by an article in The Times of India (Goa Edition) dtd. 25/5/2022 penned by Mr Rajendra Kerkar entitled "Laterite Quarrying 300m from Pansaimol petroglyphs threatens prehistoric rock art".

2. The above report is quoted verbatim for the convenience of reference:

"The haphazard quarrying of laterite stones in Pansaimol, Sanguem, is posing a threat to the prehistoric rock carvings. The quarrying operations, without permission from either the forest department, state pollution control board, or the directorate of mines and geology, was brought to light on Tuesday during a government inquiry. The rock carvings in Pansaimol, which comes under the Rivon panchayat, was recently recommended by the Union government to be included in the tentative list of world heritage sites, along with the rock carvings in Maharashtra's Konkan region. Although the State has notified it as a protected archaeological site - and the carvings depicting the faunal diversity and paleo-climatic condition are of immense importance for learning Goa's prehistory of Goa - the quarrying of laterite, that has been on for a while, is being