CANACONA
Residents have strongly objected to the proposed construction of 49 luxury villas at Loliem. On Monday, the Loliem-Polem Panchayat conducted a site inspection concerning the proposed construction of 49 premium luxury villas, each with a private swimming pool.
Besides requesting the presence of company representatives, the Loliem-Polem panchayat has requested the presence of Citizens Committee of Loliem (CCL) and the ward panch at the site during the inspection.
A number of Loliem residents, including Denis Fernandes, Prashant Pagi, Dattaprasad Prabhugaonkar, Sanjan Naik, and former Sarpanch Shailesh Pagi, were present during the inspection to ensure that the process was conducted fairly and transparently.
The inspection was attended by the Panchayat Secretary, members of Loliem-Polem Panchayat, and representatives of the company.
During the inspection, residents of Loliem strongly objected to the project, citing concerns over the conservation of the village's rich biodiversity.
They also pointed out that Loliem falls within an Eco-Sensitive Zone as notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and making a large-scale developments is a matter of serious environmental concern.
The villagers further highlighted that Loliem, along with the entire Canacona taluka, faces severe water shortages, particularly during the summer months. They expressed concern that a project of this scale would place additional pressure on already scarce water resources.
They claimed that the proposed project site is also frequented by wild animals and forms part of their natural habitat, raising concerns about the impact of the development on local wildlife'.
CCL representatives stated that the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department had granted permission for the project on the basis that a 10-metre-wide access road exists at the site.
During Monday's inspection, the road was found to measure only 4.5 metres in width, raising questions about the accuracy of the information on which the approval was granted.
