PANAJI
The agitation launched by locals against a mega real estate project in Karapur has entered its third week, with villagers stepping up their resistance and Friday's visit to the site by St Andre MLA, Viresh Borkar, drawing comparisons to the recent campaign that forced the government to scrap the Unity Mall in Chimbel.
Initially a small protest, the movement is steadily growing with residents from Karapur-Sarvan and adjoining villages joining daily.
Women, youth, and elders are increasingly getting involved and Opposition political parties are lending support adding to the government's dilemma to deal with the fallout of the growing chorus against the controversial 39A provision of the TCP Act.
The project was cleared under the contentious Section 39A of the TCP Act which has become the focal point of anger. Locals say it will deplete water resources, overload infrastructure, and damage the area’s ecology.
They also allege that approvals were granted without proper consultation which has fuelled mistrust and strong suspicion of corruption.
The agitation has revived Goa’s recurring debate over development versus ecological sustainability much like local outcry recently against the Unity Mall project, Mirabag check-dam proposal and the massive land conversion at Siridao which forced the government to hold in abeyance all 39A land conversions in St Andre constituency.
Opposition political leaders are also lending support. If on Friday it was Borkar who visited the protesters, leaders of the Congress and AAP were at the site on Saturday.
Noted environmentalist Claude Alvares also joined the protesters in Karapur who are now following the same playbook, confident that persistence can force the government’s hand.
