Team Goemkarponn
SALIGAO: Residents of Saligao have approached the Bardez Deputy Collector alleging illegal filling of cultivable agricultural land in Survey No. 296 and seeking urgent intervention to stop the activity.
In a complaint submitted on Thursday, local resident Pradeep Padgaonkar and others alleged that debris and soil were being dumped on the farmland, resulting in major alteration of the land’s natural topography and destruction of fertile agricultural soil.
The complainants stated that the land falls within a notified Command Area protected under the Goa Command Area Development Act, 1997, and warned that continued filling activity could cause irreversible environmental and ecological damage.
The complaint also referred to directions issued by the Bombay High Court at Goa in PIL No. 3/2024, which mandates authorities including the Deputy Collector, Flying Squad officials and police to act swiftly against illegal land filling and conversion activities.
Residents expressed frustration over what they described as a lack of proactive enforcement despite clear court directives, stating that ordinary citizens were repeatedly being forced to monitor and report alleged violations.
They have demanded an immediate site inspection by the Flying Squad and local police, issuance of a stop-work order and seizure of machinery or vehicles allegedly involved in the activity.
The complainants further urged authorities to initiate legal proceedings against those responsible for the alleged violations and restore the land to its original condition.
Copies of the complaint were also sent to the Flying Squad in Bardez, Saligao Police Station and the Village Panchayat of Saligao for further action.
