Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: After 44 days of continuous agitation, residents of Chimbel on Monday ended their protest against the proposed Unity Mall and Prashasan Stambh projects, following a written guarantee from the State government that both developments would be moved out of the village.
The announcement came at Azad Maidan, marking the conclusion of one of the longest local protests in recent memory. Villagers had raised concerns that the construction of these projects could cause permanent environmental damage, especially threatening Toyyar Lake and its surrounding ecosystem.
In its communication to the villagers, the Tourism Department stated that the Unity Mall project planned on survey No. 41/1 would be shifted to an alternate site and assured that no construction would take place at the current location. The department also pledged to restore the land to its original condition as soon as possible.
Similarly, the General Administrative Department (GAD) submitted a letter confirming the government’s decision to relocate the Prashasan Stambh project.
Villagers, supported by environmental groups and civil society members, had maintained that large-scale construction would disrupt local water bodies, harm biodiversity, and threaten livelihoods. The protest included daily sit-ins, public meetings, and widespread community engagement.
Govind Shirodkar told the media that the written assurances from the government allowed them to withdraw the protest, though they stressed they would continue to monitor the situation until the projects were fully relocated.
