Villagers rattle p'yat over clearances to mega projects

MAPUSA

Permissions granted to multi-dwelling projects in Tivim have sparked anxiety among villagers, who fear that unchecked approvals will strain the village’s fragile infrastructure and basic amenities.

Residents of Gavoi in Tivim have challenged the clearance granted to a mega housing project in the locality, alleging that the approval was based on misleading information regarding road access.

According to the villagers, the access road to the site is barely three metres wide, while the builder is said to have submitted an affidavit claiming it to be six metres.

“The builder has given a false affidavit to secure permission by stating that the road is six metres wide when in reality it is only around three metres,” alleged Manoj Parab, chief of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), who led a delegation of villagers before Tivim Sarpanch Michael Fernandes.

Work at the project site is reportedly progressing at a hectic pace, further heightening concern among locals.

The residents have urged the panchayat to immediately issue a stop-work order and conduct a joint inspection before allowing any further construction. They have also demanded revocation of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) granted to the developer.

Villagers claimed that the project appears to have been planned on the basis of a proposed 10-metre-wide road. They expressed apprehension that if such a road is laid, a nearby chapel would have to be demolished.

“If this road is constructed, the chapel near the site will have to be demolished, which is not acceptable to us,” residents asserted.

Sarpanch Michael Fernandes assured the delegation that the panchayat would take appropriate steps in accordance with the law.

He said the panchayat would write to the builder, the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department and the complainants, and convene a joint inspection with all stakeholders.

The panchayat had issued the NOC after the project received approval from the TCP Department. However, Fernandes maintained that the panchayat would review the matter if violations were found.

“We will do what the villagers want and as per the law. We will hold a joint inspection and then take an appropriate decision. If we need to revoke the NOC, we will do it,” he assured.

The controversy over the Gavoi project has brought the larger issue of multi-dwelling units in Tivim into sharp focus.

Villagers contend that the existing infrastructure – including water supply, electricity and internal roads – is inadequate to support a surge in large housing projects.

The matter was also raised at a recent gram sabha, where residents urged the panchayat to write to the TCP Department, insisting that approvals for such projects should be granted only after assessing the carrying capacity of the village.