CIVIC RAGE: Pomburpa locals up in arms against hill cutting

Several trees that were felled were found on the hill side while construction of roads was also in progress at the site.

A local from the area informed that the entire hill is forest land but surprisingly the area where the construction was going on has been shown as a settlement area by the Town and Country Department.

“This area is forest land with thick green cover. We don’t know how they have converted a particular area into a settlement. The entire area which is going to be developed is around 48,000 sq mts. We have come to know that around 140 villas are coming up here,” the local informed.

Based on a complaint from Shri Dev Dhadeshwar Devasthan mahajans and the residents of the village, Pomburpa Sarpanch Leopoldina Fernandes has written to the Deputy Town Planner, Mapusa requesting for stoppage of the alleged hill cutting, destruction of forest and illegal construction activities in the NDZ of survey no 292/1-L-7, 292/1-L8, 292/1-Q and 292/1-P of revenue village Salvador-do-Mundo coming in the jurisdiction of Pomburpa-Olaulim panchayat.

Since several trees were felled at the site, a complaint has also been made to the forest department.

Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira, who visited the site along with the villagers, said that this was yet another instance of hill cutting and destruction of private forest.

“This area is the beginning of the largest private forest of Goa and crosses over five hills and therefore, it needs to be protected with great urgency. Since they have got permissions, we are looking at all the documents and will definitely take it forward and challenge it,” Ferreira said.

He said it was important to protect the private forest and hills of Goa.

“Just because people have bought land, they think they can come and destroy the natural habitat and try to convert it into palatial mansions and bungalows. I think they are wrong. We will fight it tooth and nail and make sure this kind of thing is not allowed,” he said.