Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Former Bombay High Court judge Justice Ferdino Rebello has appealed for a state-wide people’s movement to oppose what he described as unchecked development in Goa’s ecologically sensitive areas, warning that hills, forests, water bodies and villages are being sacrificed for real estate projects even as residents face acute shortages of basic resources.
Reacting to reports of a protest procession in Arambol against development in forest areas, Rebello said similar movements were needed across Goa to protect hills, lakes, rivers, seashores and village ecosystems from large-scale plotting and construction.
In a public appeal circulated on Wednesday, Rebello said developers were creating hundreds of plots with swimming pools while ordinary Goans were struggling to get even an hour of water supply each day. “This should become a people’s movement all over Goa,” he said, adding that he was willing to work with citizens’ groups and activists.
Rebello urged people concerned about environmental degradation to come together and coordinate action. He shared his contact details and invited citizens to reach out directly, saying collective pressure was essential to safeguard Goa’s fragile ecology.
Along with the appeal, Rebello suggested a draft “People’s Charter” outlining demands for stronger environmental protection and accountability. The proposed charter calls for a complete ban on development on hills, irrespective of slope or gradient, and seeks the repeal of laws that allow changes in land zoning or land use, including retrospective application.
The charter also demands that no further development be permitted unless it is proven to comply fully with environmental safeguards, placing the burden on developers to demonstrate that projects will cause no damage, either immediately or in the future. It proposes that the development of plots in villages should not be allowed without scientific studies on carrying capacity, supported by formal reports.
Rebello further called for strict action against officials, architects and surveyors who submit false reports or notes, suggesting criminal and disciplinary proceedings in such cases. The charter also seeks sealing, cancellation of licences and demolition of all illegal constructions in Coastal Regulation Zone areas.
Among other demands, the former judge reiterated his long-standing opposition to offshore casinos, calling for the complete removal of casinos operating on the Mandovi River.
