Team Herald
CALANGUTE: The Calangute panchayat on Tuesday conducted a site inspection of a hillside property in survey no 33 at Gauravaddo, Calangute, after a local NGO alleged that the owner has carried out hill-cutting and constructed an illegal structure without any permissions from the authorities.
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Panchayat secretary Arjun Velip, the Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) and Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) panel were present for the site inspection.
CCF president Premanand Divkar alleged that the construction was completely illegal and has been done after extensive hill-cutting and clearing of the greenery. “During the site inspection on Tuesday, the owner of the property could neither produce permissions granted by the Town and Country Planning Department nor the panchayat,” Divkar said.
The BMC panel said the hillside is home to a variety of flora and fauna, some of which are unique to this area. “The destruction of this habitat will lead to loss of biodiversity and disrupt the ecological balance. Hill cutting and subsequent environmental degradation will have severe and irreversible impacts. These constructions are not only illegal but also highly detrimental to the pristine environment of our community.”
