The fields along the Canca-Anjuna stretch have been under constant threat of landfilling. This plague began several years ago when part of an agricultural field got a load of mud to facilitate construction.
The once attractive stretch, flanked by lush agricultural fields is now an eyesore with unabated landfilling. Tea stalls, kiosks, vehicle repairs & services, wine stores, a bar & restaurant, chicken shops, fabrication workshops, gift shops and general stores have cropped up in the fields along the route.
Who is blessing these landfilling activities? It is a given. Ironically, the panchayat office is situated along the same road, a few steps away from these businesses. In one case, a plant nursery business is on in a filled-up area which is attached to a gift shop. In recent years, agricultural activities have gradually dipped here, and businesses have cropped up on the land. Keeping aside the illegal aspects of landfilling, we have lost the village scenery along with farming. The government needs to do more to safeguard these lands from getting filled and encourage farming activities in the State to protect the village vistas.
