MAPUSA
The villagers of Calangute have decided to put the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) plan for the coastal village on hold until there is clarity on key issues, including the regularisation of houses and the impact of the area’s urban status.
At an extraordinary gram sabha convened by the Calangute panchayat on Sunday, Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira informed that the decision was taken collectively after deliberations with villagers and officials of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), who were invited to explain the proposed CRZ plan.
“We have not taken any decision regarding urbanisation. But our village was already declared an urban area during the last term, despite opposition from villagers. We had asked for it to be denotified, but our request was ignored,” Sequeira said.
The Sarpanch explained that the earlier panchayat, along with the then elected representatives in 2021, had pushed for the urbanisation of Calangute, and the move was subsequently approved and notified by
the government.
“Those leaders had promised that the houses of locals would be regularised, but nothing has been done. The villagers were not properly informed about the implications of the CRZ,” he added.
Sequeira said the GCZMA has proposed a new CRZ plan for Calangute, which will be forwarded to the panchayat for review.
“We will take a decision on the plan only after we receive and study it,” he said.
Several villagers, however, expressed concern that the change in the area’s status from rural to urban could have long-term consequences for the coastal community.
“If we go for CRZ-II instead of CRZ-III, Calangute will turn into a concrete jungle. It will not benefit the common man with small plots but only those with large properties,” cautioned Manuel Cardozo, a resident.
Another villager, Antonio D’Souza, pointed out that Calangute was notified as an urban area in 2021 under Section 38(2) of the Land Revenue Code, 1968. “Urbanisation of Calangute is directly linked to CRZ regulations. The shift from a rural CRZ-III to an urban CRZ-II will permit more construction closer to the shoreline,” he said.
The gram sabha resolved to keep the CRZ plan in abeyance until further clarification is received on how the CRZ and urbanisation plans would impact local residents, particularly in terms of housing regularisation and environmental safeguards.
