Cavelossim villagers point to the road constructed in an alleged ‘No Development Zone’ at Mobor. Captured by : Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Destruction caused to sand dunes and tree cover in a property allegedly purchased by an Indian cricketer a year and half ago has come back to haunt the residents of Cavelossim and the village panchayat.
For, the villagers have claimed that leave alone the restoration of the tree cover and the sand dune, a road has been constructed in the property, which the locals say falls in the ‘No Development Zone’.
That’s not all. Activist and Cavelossim panch member Adv Irish Passainha has claimed that though the villagers had complained to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) on the destruction in the NDZ property, no GCZMA official has bothered to inspect the property till date.
In fact, the villagers have raised questions how come 8-10 metre road has been built in the same property, demanding to know whether the road work has been executed without the knowledge of the authorities.
When the media contacted Cavelossim village Sarpanch Dixon Vaz to shed light on the road construction in a property falling in the NDZ, the sarpanch said the panchayat was quick to issue a stop work notice to the property owner in June last. “We have made it amply clear to the property owner that no road work or any other work should be carried out in the property in question without the permission of the panchayat and other authorities,” Dixon said.
He added: “The panchayat is firm in its stand and will not tolerate any work in violation of the stop work order and the laws in force.”
The villagers, however, wondered how come an 8-10 metre wide road has taken shape in the NDZ property which was in the news over a year and half ago for the destruction of sand dunes and tree cover. “I have been told that the property owners were fined Rs 25,000 for the destruction. The owner was further directed to plant 300 trees, but we cannot see any trees in the property in question,” remarked Sheldon, a villager.
Adv Passainha wondered why the GCZMA has not come down heavily on the property owners for destroying the tree cover and the sand dune, demanding to know whether the government is quite on the issue since the property is now purchased by an Indian cricketer.
Julio Fernandes said the panchayat should explain to the villagers as to who had given the permission to the property owner to build a road in the property. “We would like to know who is behind the construction of the road and who is helping the cricketer to resort to illegalities in the property,” he added.
