Team Goemkarponn
DIVAR: Residents of Divar Island’s Goltim-Navelim (Piedade) panchayat came together to protest the government’s plan to make Divar a tourist village. Plans for major housing developments, especially those with more than 12 apartments, including ones with swimming pools, were overwhelmingly rejected by the people.
According to Mario Pinto, the sarpanch of Goltim-Navelim, the hamlet does not currently have any commercial or big projects underway. He claimed that although the administration had made a proposal, the panchayat had already rejected it.
“The locals oppose Divar becoming into a tourist destination. We oppose changes that alter the character of our tranquil town,” Pinto stated.
Large house constructions, especially those with more than 12 apartments and swimming pools, were fiercely opposed by the villagers. Many were concerned that these developments would make the island more populated, putting a pressure on resources and changing the nature of the hamlet.
We are concerned that making Divar a tourist hamlet will result in congestion, a loss of the village’s tranquil nature, and environmental damage,” one villager stated. There are serious worries about the strain that tourism may put on our infrastructure, as well as the possible harm to our traditional way of life and the beauty of the environment.
Another local commented, “These large projects are not appropriate for our small village.” “We wish to keep Divar as it is—calm, serene, and rooted in its history. Large-scale housing developments that interfere with our way of life are something we detest,” he continued.