Villagers Battle Against Mega Projects

The once beautiful and serene coastal villages of the paradise Goa have been ravaged by mega housing projects. The swaying palms are no more and the traditional access to the beaches have been blocked by the builders. The fishing community which lived on the sea are not being allowed to continue with their traditional occupation and are being forced into unemployment. The agriculture lands are being converted to settlement and land filling is rampant. With the impact of development being felt due to lack of water supply, growing garbage, pollution of water bodies, road congestion, increase in malaria infection cases and crimes, several Gram Sabhas along the South Goa coastline have decided to say enough.

The Village Panchayats were forced to revoke permissions to mega housing projects which are alleged to have committed serious violations of the building laws. Gram Sabha members of the Colva Village Panchayat are alleged to have entered a construction site and removed all construction labourers thus bringing construction to a grinding halt. The Benaulim Gram Sabha was adjourned a record 4 times to complete its discussion and identification of mega projects that need to be inspected. Thje Sarpanch of Benaulim submitted her resignation on not being able to withstand publci pressure. Another panchayat member in Colva put in her resignation on people's demand. The battle is now spreading through the midland with every village resenting the growing influx of migrants and massive land purchases by non-goans. Goa's villages are on the boil and there are already scattered voices demanding special status for Goa.