Pomburpa gram sabha passed strong resolution against mega housing and commercial developments after grilling panchayat members.
MAPUSA
Whether in cash-rich panchayats like Calangute or small revenue-generating ones like Camurlim, one sentiment is echoing across Bardez: villagers are saying “no” to mega multi-dwelling projects.
From fears of losing water and power supply to anger over vanishing village identity, gram sabhas across the taluka have increasingly turned into platforms of protest against what locals call “urbanisation in disguise.”
A widespread backlash
Almost all of the 33 village panchayats in Bardez have, at some point, opposed the setting up of large residential or commercial projects. The scale of the opposition is striking – spanning villages of different sizes, demographics and revenue strengths.
In recent weeks, gram sabhas of at least two panchayats – Assonora and Pomburpa-Olaulim – passed strong resolutions against mega housing and commercial developments. Residents warned that large-scale construction would deplete scarce resources and permanently alter the rural character of their villages.
“Unchecked urbanisation has already destroyed many towns and cities in Goa. Congestion, parking shortages and pollution have become part of daily life there. We cannot let the same fate befall our villages,” one resident of Assonora said during the gram sabha.
The resource question
Underlying the villagers’ protests is a fundamental question: Can Goa’s villages bear the strain of large-scale housing projects?
Water and electricity supply already remain erratic in many villages. Residents of Anjuna, for instance, complained of frequent power cuts and irregular water supply, conditions which they fear will worsen if permissions for hotels and high-rise apartments continue.
“Our roads are narrow, our electricity fails every other day and water comes at odd hours. Unless these basic issues are solved, the panchayat should not issue a single licence to mega projects,” said Michael D’Souza, an Anjuna local.
The worry is not unfounded. Urban centres such as Mapusa and Margao continue to struggle with garbage disposal and waste management.
Villagers fear that bringing city-style mega projects to rural landscapes will replicate the same problems in areas unequipped to handle them.
Gram sabhas as
battlegrounds
In many panchayats, opposition has been voiced repeatedly at gram sabhas. Residents have not only raised objections but ensured that resolutions were passed against mega constructions.
In Moira, last month’s gram sabha witnessed an unusually sharp demand: a complete ban on mega housing projects, particularly large villas with swimming pools. Villagers said such developments drain limited water and electricity resources while offering little benefit to locals.
A written petition signed by 25 villagers, and submitted to the Moira panchayat, described unchecked construction as “the destruction of the village.” The petition urged the sarpanch and the government to intervene, stating:
“Moira is saturated with too many housing projects, leading to a complete drain on our limited resources. Only single-dwelling units for local residents must be allowed. We urge the government to honour its commitment and protect our village.”
Hills flattened,
identity shaken
The idyllic village of Assagao provides another case study of transformation and resistance. Once known for its lush hills and forest cover, Assagao has in recent years seen a surge of villas, bungalows with swimming pools, restaurants and boutique hotels. Many were built by non-Goans who bought properties from locals.
To make way for these projects, hills have been flattened – a move that locals say has robbed the village of its beauty and threatened its ecology.
At a recent gram sabha, residents demanded a complete ban on mega projects, warning that without intervention, Assagao would soon be unrecognisable.
“Our hills are being shaved off, our greenery lost. We do not want to become another concrete jungle,” said one villager.
From tourism hub to protest
Ironically, in Goa’s most cash-rich panchayat, Calangute, the anger against mega projects is perhaps most visible. Known worldwide as a tourism hub, the village is already grappling with traffic congestion, waste mismanagement and an overburdened infrastructure.
Several villagers suggested that the panchayat should impose a blanket ban on issuing construction licences until proper water and electricity supply is ensured.
Panchayats admit
limitations
Despite the string of resolutions passed at gram sabhas, panchayat leaders admit their powers are limited. Under the current framework, the final authority to approve or reject construction projects lies with the TCP department and the government, not the village panchayats.
“At the most, these resolutions only indicate the sense of the villagers – that they want to preserve their village. But legally, we cannot stop projects once permissions are granted by higher authorities,” one sarpanch explained.
Moira Sarpanch Sagar Naik echoed this view, noting that the panchayat did not have the authority to unilaterally halt construction. Similarly, an official from Anjuna panchayat described the demand for a blanket ban as “bad in law,” since it would not stand legal scrutiny.
This gap between villagers’ demands and the panchayat’s powers has been a recurring point of frustration.
Carrying capacity
the larger debate
Increasingly, informed citizens are asking the government to commission carrying capacity studies of villages before granting construction licences. Such studies would measure the ability of a village to sustainably provide water, electricity, waste management and other infrastructure before allowing new projects.
Without such assessments, villagers argue, development becomes unsustainable and threatens the very resources on which both locals and newcomers depend.
Emerging grassroots
movement
From Camurlim to Calangute, from Assagao to Moira, the pattern is clear: villagers want to retain their rural identity and prevent the depletion of resources.
While panchayats lack the legal authority to enforce blanket bans, the collective voices raised at gram sabhas are hard to ignore.
The issue has now moved beyond isolated protests to what appears to be a grassroots movement against unregulated urbanisation in Bardez.
If the government does not respond with policy measures – such as stricter regulations, capacity audits and effective waste management – the conflict between villagers and planners is only likely to intensify.
For now, the gram sabhas have become the stage for this contest between development and preservation.
Villagers may not hold the final power, but their message is unambiguous: they want growth that sustains, not construction that consumes.
