Green Siolim village, rapidly turning brown, grabs headlines not just for illegal tree cutting but also for rampant destruction through field filling and encroachments. While I sympathise with distressed Siolkars, this issue plagues many villages, including my own, Colva.
High land prices contribute, but corruption within local authorities exacerbates the problem. Panchayats and TCP act more like real estate agents with connections to senior politicians. This allows easy perpetration of illegal acts with little recourse for justice, particularly evident in Colva where reporting land filling is met with unprofessional responses from the Flying Squad.
The cumbersome process discourages those seeking justice, giving illegal activities free rein. The “Double Engine Sarkar” perpetuates this system, favouring illegality. Negative forces in Goa, united in pursuit of wealth, threaten the environment, while the fragmented response of good people, often manipulated by politicians, exacerbates the issue. It’s clear action is needed to halt the rapid destruction of our beloved Goa.
