GAURANG PRABHU/ Goemkarponn
MARGAO:
Despite the vigilant civil society in South Goa, there has been a rise in illegal development and hill cutting in the district.
Recently it has come to notice huge land in South Goa is being developed, and plots are sold. Most of the land is non-settlement and is being done in a joint venture with local politicians and the authorities.
GOEMKARPONN will bring the series of such irregularities in South Goa starting from Cuncolim.
Kakanamoddi – In the name of development at Cuncolim, there was an attempt to do arbitrary work by cutting down a large forest area in the ‘No Development Zone’, but the developers, as well as the people who were greedy for money, could not achieve their goal due to the vigilant locals.
After several attempts, the locals have now been able to stop the illegal hill-cutting by the Cuncolim chief officer. The vigilant locals are preparing to lodge a complaint with the Vigilance Department for a thorough inquiry into the matter.
The hill of Kakanamoddi, once considered an epitome of natural beauty and a source of water for the surrounding settlements and habitat for animals, has been destroyed by some for their own selfish ends.
Due to the greenery spread all over the place during the monsoons, this hill standing on the side of the national highway added to the beauty of Cuncolim village.
Local and social activist Dr Jorson Fernandes expressed frustration, saying that government officials were able to stop the decline, but selfishness literally blinded some.
The Cuncolim Municipal Council issued the work permit to the concerned developer after the Town planning department ordered the approval as per the government formalities.
Although the order lays down instructions on what to check before issuing the license, the municipality allowed the developers to carry out the excavation without any inspection or proper sale of the deed. Moreover, permission from the Mining department is also required to break large boulders here, which the suspects did not bother to take.
The place has been filled with soil in a shallow area near the hill.
While filling the soil, it has also been dumped on the National Highway site.
Even though this illegal private work has been done on government land, government officials are silent.
According to the order, it is illegal to block any water source or add soil during any development, but the stream water has been blocked while working here, said Dr Jorson.
He said that the water level in this valley at the foot of the mountain does not dry up even in November-December.
