PANAJI
The inspection of Toyyar lake and its surroundings, where the government has proposed the controversial Unity Mall project, began on Saturday a day after it was deferred following differences between officials and the protesting villagers over its scope and area to be covered.
Officials said the survey will last for at least three days.
A team of experts is defining the boundaries of the lake. Once complete, they will measure the buffer zone, natural springs and adjacent land. Reports will be prepared daily and shared with villagers for feedback and corrections, one official involved with the work said.
The move follows a meeting earlier this week between Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and representatives of the protesting Chimbel villagers where it was agreed to determine the “zone of influence” of the lake and extend the survey up to the proposed mall site.
Officials had arrived on Friday to begin the survey work but villagers objected when they found out that it was restricted to one plot, survey number 40/1. They argued that the main portion of the lake lay in another plot. Following these protests at the site, a fresh detailed survey was launched on Saturday morning.
WRD advisor Pramod Badami, Goa Biodiversity Board Chairman Dr. Pradeep Sarmokadam, experts from the National Institute of Oceanography and local residents were present at the site where the survey began.
Work is now underway to map the lake’s boundaries and inspect its water sources and springs. Technical measurements of the Santan-Talaulim area and the Unity Mall site will also be part of the exercise.
Villagers meanwhile remained firm on their opposition to the project.
“This survey is not just about Unity Mall. It is about preserving the wetland,” said Ajay Kholkar, one of the protesters and a resident of Chimbel. He stressed that even if the mall project falls outside the affected zone, villagers will not support it.
