Parishioners launch signature campaign, petition IPB seeking scrapping
File photo of the proposed aviation and aero-sports hub on the Quitol plateau.
MARGAO
The “Save Quitol, Save Betul, Save Our Plateaus” campaign intensified on Sunday as residents of Betul and neighbouring areas launched a signature drive opposing the proposed aviation and aero-sports hub on the Quitol–Betul plateau.
Parishioners from Betul and surrounding villages signed a petition after Sunday Masses, stepping up their protest against the controversial project. The petition will be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer of the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (Goa-IPB), Asvin Chandru, IAS, and other government authorities, urging them to scrap the proposed aviation project.
According to Seby Fernandes, more than 200 parishioners attached to the Betul Church signed the petition on Sunday. He said the move comes in the wake of statements by Goa-IPB CEO Asvin Chandru indicating that the Board would soon issue a public proclamation inviting objections to the project. Fernandes said the signed petition will be submitted to the Board as part of the public response to the proposal.
In the petition, residents stated that citizens of Goa are strongly opposed to the proposed aviation and aero-sports hub planned on the Quitol–Betul plateau. They pointed out that the Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board has reportedly granted in-principle approval to M/s Skydiving Adventures Pvt Ltd for a large-scale project.
The proposed development reportedly includes skydiving facilities, aviation training, drone manufacturing and hospitality infrastructure spread across 2.45 lakh square metres of plateau land.
The petition also raised concerns about the scale of resources proposed for the project. It noted that the Goa-IPB has recommended a power allocation of 3,000 KVA and a water supply of 3.5 KLD for the development.
Residents argued that diverting such substantial public resources to a single private entity is unjustifiable, particularly at a time when Goa faces growing concerns over water availability and increasing energy demand.
Through the signed petition, the villagers are demanding the immediate revocation of the in-principle approval granted in the 40th Goa-IPB Board meeting (23-12-2025) to M/s Skydiving Adventures Pvt Ltd.
That’s not all. The villagers have called for a comprehensive, independent Environmental Impact Assessment before any approvals by Goa Industrial Development Corporation and Goa State Pollution Control Board, with all permissions kept on hold.
Insisting that the Quitol plateau is part of Goa’s natural heritage, fearing that once destroyed it cannot be restored, the villagers have demanded formal recognition of Quitol-Betul Plateau as a Biodiversity Heritage Site to protect it from industrial and commercial development.
Why villagers are opposing the project
Villagers from Betul and Canaguinim argue that the Quitol–Betul plateau is not a wasteland but a fragile laterite plateau ecosystem that supports rich biodiversity. According to them, around 193 bird species have been recorded in the area through citizen-science platforms such as eBird and iNaturalist. These include species classified as “near threatened” and two listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List, as well as 18 species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Residents also point out that the plateau supports mammals such as the golden jackal, along with seasonal endemic plants, including ground orchids and other specialised plateau flora. The ecosystem also hosts reptiles, insects, and invertebrates uniquely adapted to the rocky terrain.
Environmentalists note that lateritic plateaus are globally recognised as rare ecosystems that can take decades to recover once damaged.
Villagers’ fears and apprehensions
Local residents say the porous laterite rock of the plateau acts like a natural sponge during the monsoon, helping recharge groundwater that supports nearby villages such as Quitol, Betul and Naqueri. They fear that large-scale aviation infrastructure could permanently damage this natural recharge system and worsen water scarcity in the future.
Villagers are also concerned that construction activity and increased vehicular movement could destroy habitats, disturb wildlife through noise, and lead to soil compaction and the loss of seasonal plant diversity. They warn that light pollution, plastic waste and other infrastructure-related impacts could result in the permanent loss of what they describe as an irreplaceable ecosystem.
Goa-IPB’s decision at the 40th Board meeting on Dec 23, 2025
The Board has decided to grant in-principle approval to M/s Skydiving Adventures Pvt Ltd to establish an integrated aero sports and aviation ecosystem that features adventure tourism, aviation training, drone manufacturing and hospitality at Quitol Industrial Estate, South Goa,” the Board stated
To recommend to the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) for allotment of suitable plot admeasuring 2,45,459 sq mtrs in Quitol Industrial Estate, South Goa
To recommend to the Electricity Department to release power requirement of 3,000 KVA to the proposed unit in the said plot as per the relevant Act/Rules in force
