Excavator deployed to carve out six-metre road atop Boa Viagem hill
An excavator cuts into Boa Viagem hill in Calangute to allegedly carve out a six-metre-wide road, triggering concerns over hill alteration and loss of green cover.
MAPUSA
At a time when Goans across the State are increasingly voicing concern over land conversions and unchecked development, an alleged case of illegal hill cutting and road construction in Calangute has triggered fresh outrage.
Calangute Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira has lodged a complaint with the local police after it was found that an excavator was being used at the top of Boa Viagem hill, above the water tank at Naika-vaddo, to carve out a six-metre-wide road.
The activity, he stated, also involved the cutting of trees and the destruction of forest cover.
“The road is illegal, and the trees have been cut without prior permission from the panchayat or the Forest Department. No construction licence or approval has been issued by this office,” Sequeira said in his complaint, urging police to initiate action.
He further revealed that during a site inspection, the excavator operator claimed he had been instructed by an unidentified individual to carry out the work.
Even as the panchayat flagged the violation, villagers of Calangute have escalated the matter by submitting a detailed complaint to the Chief Secretary, North Goa Collector, local MLA and other authorities, highlighting what they described as a serious threat to the area’s fragile ecosystem.
According to residents, the ongoing activity has led to large-scale destruction of natural green cover and biodiversity on Boa Viagem hill – one of the few remaining green pockets in the coastal belt. They alleged that the road construction was undertaken without any approvals and in blatant violation of environmental and forest regulations.
Villagers warned of long-term ecological consequences, including loss of biodiversity and wildlife habitat, increased risk of soil erosion and landslides and disruption of the area’s ecological balance.
Strongly objecting to what they termed an “unlawful and reckless” act, the residents have demanded immediate halting of all construction activity, identification and prosecution of those responsible, seizure of machinery, restoration of the damaged hill, and a comprehensive environmental impact assessment.
They have also called for strict monitoring to prevent further encroachment.
The complaint, signed by Premanand Diukar and other villagers, cautions that failure to act promptly would force residents to escalate the issue to higher authorities and environmental forums.
The incident has added to growing unease in Goa, where public resistance to land conversions and large-scale developments has been intensifying.
