MARGAO
The gram sabha of the Velim village panchayat on Sunday flagged the notification declaring the Shabu Tollem in Ambelim as a wetland, saying the buffer zone of the water body extends into horticultural plantations in Velim.
The gram sabha also raised strong objections to the Non-Developable Area (NDA) proposed under Section 39A of the TCP Act. Members questioned the criteria adopted by the government to declare certain areas as NDA while excluding others.
At the gram sabha meeting chaired by Sarpanch Veena Cardozo on Sunday, gram sabha member Jetroy Dias said that although the Shabu Tollem water body falls in Ambelim, the buffer zone shown in the notification comes under the jurisdiction of the Velim panchayat.
He further claimed that the Shabu Tollem is a bhandara used to store water and irrigate the fields.
“Last month, the panchayat had issued a notice for demarcation of the buffer zone. I have brought to the notice of the Velim panchayat that the buffer zone will render the horticultural plantations in Velim as NDZ,” he said.
On Section 39A, gram sabha members pointed out that the Regional Plan had brought many areas under the NDZ. “The latest government move, it appears, is a package wherein lakhs of areas have been declared as NDA. This is not acceptable. They have excluded certain areas from the ambit of NDZ and given the people a package,” remarked a gram sabha member.
The garbage menace also figured at the gram sabha after members highlighted the disposal of garbage along the roadside. They requested the chair to arrange for the collection of garbage from the roadside, including plastic waste.
