Team Goemkarponn
OLD GOA: The Town and Country Planning Department has notified nearly four lakh square metres of land, including ecologically and archaeologically sensitive areas in Old Goa and St Cruz, as No Development Zone (NDZ), TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane announced on Friday.
According to the minister, the notified areas include around 1.02 lakh square metres falling within the archaeological zone at Old Goa and approximately 3.37 lakh square metres of mangrove stretch extending from Four Pillars to St Cruz.
The notification has been issued under sub-section (1) of Section 39 (A) of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act.
The move is aimed at safeguarding environmentally and historically sensitive zones from developmental activities and preserving Goa’s ecological and heritage-rich areas.
The Old Goa region is home to several protected heritage monuments of national importance, while the mangrove belt between Four Pillars and St Cruz plays a vital role in maintaining coastal ecology and biodiversity.
Officials said the NDZ notification will restrict construction and other development activities within the identified areas in order to ensure long-term conservation and protection.
