MARGAO
Monte Hill witnessed an uproar on Friday as a couple of trees were chopped down to make way for land filling on a slopping orchard land along the road passing opposite the T B Sanatorium.
Officials of the South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA), who visited the site, confirmed that around 205 square meters of orchard land has been illegally filled up in the area. Forest officials, who visited the site on Friday evening, confirmed that around five trees, besides vegetation has been cleared from the 200 square meter area.
In fact, a PDA official Prakash Naik told The Goan that the SGPDA will lodge a detailed complaint to the Margao Police to initiate action against the owner under section 17-A of the Town and Country Planning Act.
The activity, locals informed, had reportedly commenced on Thursday evening, before a couple of trucks dumped more mud on the sloppy land in question. Ward councillor Glen Andrade bitterly protested against the illegal land filling, saying “it appears that someone is trying to construct an illegal road and take it to a construction project coming up on the Borda side.”
Demanding an immediate stop to the activity, Glen sought that the authorities take the party to task and restore the land to its original condition. “This illegal activity cannot be accepted on a fragile hillock. The authorities should book the party and get the land restored,” he demanded.
A resident Glen Morenas, who has lodged a complaint, wondered how the land activity could escape the attention of the concerned authorities. “All the agencies should work together to get the land filling stopped. The party should be made to lift away the mud,” he said.
The SGPDA official Prakash Naik informed that no permission has been granted by the PDA for construction of the road on the sloppy orchard land. “The land in question has a 1:25 degree gradient and hence no activity can take place on the land without PDA permission,” Prakash said, while confirming that the land in question falls under the orchard zone.
Local residents fear that unless the authorities crack the whip, many others will
be emboldened to fill their land in violation of the laid down norms.
When The Goan contacted SGPDA Member Secretary Ashok Kumar to shed light on the controversy, he said that the PDA will move the Margao police to register an offence against the concerned person. “The PDA has not given any permission for land filling or for development of the area,” Kumar asserted.
