PANAJI
A day after the Goa government announced its decision to shift the proposed Unity Mall project from Chimbel, villagers who have been protesting at the site expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant but raised fresh questions about the government’s claims regarding Toyyar Lake.
The villagers said they welcomed the scrapping of the Unity Mall and Prashasan Stambh projects from their village. However, they rejected the government’s assertion that the projects did not fall within the influence zone of Toyyar Lake. According to them, the government had unilaterally decided on the boundaries of the influence zone without consulting local residents.
Community leaders pointed out that the draft report of the joint survey is still being prepared and has not been finalised. They argued that the government’s announcement was premature and ignored the ongoing process.
“The survey is not complete. How can they claim the site is outside the lake’s influence zone?” one villager asked.
The Toyyar Lake issue has been central to the agitation in Chimbel, with residents insisting that any construction near the water body would damage its ecology and threaten livelihoods. Villagers have repeatedly demanded that the government respect the findings of the joint survey before making policy decisions.
Meanwhile, the villagers clarified that their planned 'maha andolan' on Friday will go ahead as scheduled.
They said the protest is not limited to the Unity Mall and Prashasan Sthambh projects but is also meant to support other agitations across Goa.
“This is a larger struggle. We stand in solidarity with movements in different parts of the State,” a protester said.
The announcement to shift the Unity Mall was seen as a partial victory for the Chimbel agitation, which has drawn widespread attention in recent weeks. But villagers remain firm that their fight is far from over. With the rally set to take place on January 30, the confrontation between the government and local residents appears likely to continue.
