Gram sabhas demand cap, carrying capacity study
Gram sabha members of Varca village panchayat deliberate on housing projects and carrying capacity study at a special gram sabha held on Sunday.
MARGAO
Salcete roared against mega housing projects with a number of gram sabhas demanding a cap and carrying capacity studies.
In fact, village after village in Salcete echoed a unified message on Sunday—no to mega housing projects. From coastal Varca to Telaulim, and from Raia to Curtorim, gram sabhas convened by various panchayats unanimously demanded a halt to large-scale housing developments until detailed carrying capacity studies are completed.
Varca says no to more than 4 dwelling units
At a specially convened gram sabha in Varca, chaired by Sarpanch Flavia Barretto, residents passed an unanimous resolution restricting new construction licences to a maximum of four dwelling units. The resolution, which also includes commercial projects, will remain in force until a comprehensive carrying capacity study of the village is conducted.
Environmental activist Avinash Tavares, who served as a resource person, gave a detailed presentation explaining the methodology and significance of a carrying capacity study. He outlined how the study would examine the impact of population growth on essential services such as water, electricity, and roads, and would evaluate the village’s ability to sustain further development without compromising quality of life.
Social activist Sohail Furtado told the media that the decision was unanimous and strongly supported by the villagers.
Sarpanch Flavia Barretto said the panchayat is fully supporting the resolution adopted by the gram sabha. She said the panchayat plans to set up a team comprising its members and those from the Village Development Committee to geo-tag properties and begin the study, which may take up to two years to complete.
Telaulim strongly objects to 100 FAR
In Telaulim, the gram sabha also took a firm stand, unanimously opposing construction projects with a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 100. Members instead insisted that the existing 60 FAR is more suitable, given the limited infrastructure in the village.
Sarpanch Freny Barretto was requested by the members to forward the resolution to the Town and Country Planning Department, officially stating the panchayat’s refusal to issue licences for projects with 100 FAR. Gram sabha members cited pressure on local infrastructure—power, water, roads, and waste management—as a key reason behind their opposition.
Panchayat member Steven Goes confirmed that the panchayat would take immediate steps to act upon the resolution and communicate the village’s stance to relevant authorities.
Raia demands cap at 10 units
Tempers flared at the Raia gram sabha chaired by Sarpanch Jacinta Dias, where members passed a resolution restricting housing projects to not more than 10 dwelling units. Villagers demanded transparency and insisted that all future mega housing proposals must be brought before the gram sabha for open discussion.
An uproar ensued when a panchayat member was questioned for allegedly supporting a project in a ward outside his jurisdiction. He later clarified that a staff error had led to the file being mistakenly assigned to him.
Despite the heated exchange, the gram sabha concluded with a clear resolution—no housing project above 10 units should be approved without community discussion.
In Curtorim, members reiterated a previously passed resolution requiring all mega housing project proposals to be tabled at the gram sabha for deliberation. During the meeting chaired by Sarpanch Joaquim Estebeiro, gram sabha member Santan Rodrigues questioned the panchayat over a proposed housing project in Maina and the status of the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for garbage management.
While the sarpanch clarified that no approvals had been granted for the Maina project, Rodrigues emphasised that the panchayat should have brought the proposal before the gram sabha in the first place for discussion.
