“The environmental cost is irreversible. Coastal ecosystems, wetlands, and green cover once destroyed cannot be restored by fines or apologies. These natural buffers protect Goa from floods, erosion, and climate extremes. Ignoring environmental norms today is an invitation to future disasters—ones that courts cannot undo.
Equally serious is the cultural loss. Goa is not just a tourist destination; it is a living cultural landscape shaped by history, architecture, and community life. Haphazard constructions disfigure heritage zones and erase the visual and cultural continuity that makes Goa unique. Once lost, this identity cannot be reconstructed.
The judiciary’s strong words are a wake-up call, but courts cannot govern in perpetuity. Sustainable change must come from accountable administration and political will.” When the High Court remarked that Goa is a paradise and should look like one, it was not indulging in romantic nostalgia. It was delivering a sharp indictment of how recklessly that paradise is being dismantled—brick by brick, slab by slab—through unchecked illegal constructions and institutional apathy. The observation cuts deep because it reflects a truth Goans experience daily: the steady erosion of natural beauty, rule of law, and public accountability.Goa’s identity has always rested on a delicate balance between development and ecology, tourism and tradition, growth and restraint. That balance has been dangerously disturbed. Illegal structures lining highways, mushrooming along coastlines, and creeping into no-development zones are no longer exceptions; they have become the norm. What should alarm citizens more than the violations themselves is how normalised they have become within the system meant to prevent them.
The court’s intervention exposes a systemic failure. Local bodies, panchayats, and municipalities are legally empowered to regulate construction and protect public spaces. Yet, many have either turned a blind eye or actively enabled violations. Notices are not issued, demolitions are delayed indefinitely, and files move only when judicial pressure mounts. This is not governance—it is abdication of responsibility.
Illegal construction is often defended in the name of tourism and livelihoods. This argument is both misleading and dangerous. Tourism thrives on Goa’s natural charm—its beaches, rivers, green hills, and heritage villages. When these are destroyed, tourism itself becomes unsustainable. Concrete choking the coastline, traffic congestion caused by unplanned growth, and stressed water and waste systems ultimately degrade the visitor experience and the quality of life for locals. Short-term profits cannot justify long-term ecological and social collapse.More troubling is the inequality embedded in this lawlessness. Influential builders and commercial interests frequently evade action, while ordinary citizens face swift penalties for minor deviations. This selective enforcement breeds cynicism and undermines faith in the rule of law. When laws exist only on paper and enforcement depends on power rather than principle, democracy itself is weakened.The environmental cost is irreversible. Coastal ecosystems, wetlands, and green cover once destroyed cannot be restored by fines or apologies. These natural buffers protect Goa from floods, erosion, and climate extremes. Ignoring environmental norms today is an invitation to future disasters—ones that courts cannot undo.Equally serious is the cultural loss. Goa is not just a tourist destination; it is a living cultural landscape shaped by history, architecture, and community life. Haphazard constructions disfigure heritage zones and erase the visual and cultural continuity that makes Goa unique. Once lost, this identity cannot be reconstructed.
The judiciary’s strong words are a wake-up call, but courts cannot govern in perpetuity. Sustainable change must come from accountable administration and political will. Enforcement mechanisms need transparency, time-bound action, and consequences for officials who fail to act. Local bodies must remember that they are custodians of public interest, not facilitators of private gain.
Citizens, too, have a role. Silence and resignation allow illegality to flourish. Public vigilance, community action, and consistent pressure on elected representatives are essential to reclaiming Goa’s future. Development is not the enemy; lawless development is.
Calling Goa a paradise is meaningless if policies and practices steadily destroy what makes it one. The court has held up a mirror. Whether the state chooses to look—and act—will determine if Goa remains a paradise in reality, or only in rhetoric.
