The town and country planning (TCP) department recently issued 3 notifications under Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act which will lead to a substantial expansion of land designated as settlement zone. Four land parcels in Seraulim, Utorda , Calata and Orlim have been 'newly' designated as NDZs. The 4 lakh sqm that has been earmarked thus is presently classified as paddy fields, orchards, mangroves, fish farms, water bodies, rivers and irrigation command areas and is therefore already protected against development under the Goa master plan. Under cover of declaring an already notified green zone as an NDZ via infructuous legislation, the government is turning previously demarcated NDZs to buildable zones. This is borne out by the fact that the TCP has moved with extreme alacrity to approve 21 applications for conversion of orchards, natural cover, cultivable land, paddy fields and playground to settlement zones. The TCP department said that suggestions from the public regarding @ 60,000 sqm of land were placed before the Board for its recommendation and approval and after due consideration it green flagged the conversions. Very soon Goa will be as green as the Sahara desert.
VINAY DWIVEDI, Benaulim
