Residents, environmental activists, and members of the Save Goa Environment team and nearby villagers gathered at Salvador do Mundo hill under the slogan “Our Forest, Our Future – Save It Before It’s Gone” to protest against an alleged mega construction project coming up on forest land within the jurisdiction of the Olaulim-Pomburpa Panchayat. Several social activists from across Goa joined the protest, condemning what they described as large-scale destruction of private forest land spread across nearly 35,000 square metres.
Villagers expressed concern over the loss of biodiversity and the disappearance of traditional forest produce such as jungle fruits like “Kanta,” which many locals have enjoyed since childhood. “One of the villagers said that if the forests are destroyed, future generations will lose access to nature and forest fruits that have been part of local life for decades. He said children today may still get to enjoy them, but the coming generations may never experience it,” a resident said.
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Social activist Dhiren Phadte alleged that the land is a notified private forest area and claimed that initial permission was granted only for fencing. However, he said heavy machinery such as JCBs were later brought in, and trees were uprooted. “After hearing the machinery, we intervened and stopped the work. Now they have completed fencing and are allegedly setting fire to trees by collecting dry leaves near the roots. There are thousands of trees here. Later they may seek conversion and push the land into settlement zone. Our demand is that this land be denotified as No Development Zone (NDZ), and since trees are being burnt, the government must seize the property,” Phadte said.
Alvito D’Silva, Chairperson of the Biodiversity Management Committee of Olaulim-Pomburpa, said the committee has been monitoring the property since last year and had already raised concerns after previous incidents of fire. He said builders and developers appear to be targeting the area due to its secluded location deep inside the forest, assuming no one would notice the destruction. “The reason for the fires is that this is notified private forest land. If action is not taken now, I fear nearby forest areas could also face the same threat. We must unite to protect our land and natural beauty,” D’Silva said.
Another resident pointed out that the plateau is rich in biodiversity and warned that fencing such a vast area would trap wildlife and restrict their natural movement. “It does not take an expert to understand what is happening here. The biodiversity of this plateau is among the richest. Wildlife will get trapped inside because of the fencing. People must remain vigilant and not ignore the destruction taking place,” the resident said.
Local resident Alex also opposed the alleged hill cutting and unnecessary road expansion, saying such activities only destroy Goa’s natural beauty and wildlife. “If anyone wants to destroy nature, they should go elsewhere and not Goa. We are united and will not allow this destruction to continue,” he said.
Convenor of the Goa Green Brigade, Avertino Miranda, described the site as a “disaster spot” and said similar destruction is happening across Goa. “This is people’s power, and only people can save what is left. We cannot remain silent while biodiversity is destroyed and forests are burnt for mega construction projects. Everyone must come out and join the movement,” Miranda said.
Social activist Dipesh Naik said destruction had already begun during earlier visits and alleged that after fencing, the next stage was burning trees before the launch of a mega project. He called for stronger public action, including a possible sit-in protest until the project is scrapped.
Santosh Mandrekar said it was unfortunate that such a large stretch of land near the Porvorim-Aldona border was facing destruction while authorities remained silent. He questioned whether elected representatives were standing with the people or allowing Goa’s land to be sold for private interests.
Aldona MLA Adv. Carlos Ferreira, who also joined the protest later, assured residents that he would seek details regarding zoning and planning permissions from the Town Planning Minister. “If it is forest land or falls under an eco-sensitive zone, it cannot be touched. If it is notified under NDZ, I will ensure it remains protected. Burning trees to falsely show there is no forest is dishonest and must be challenged. This is not about borders or politics—it is about protecting Goa and the interests of every Goan,” Ferreira said. He added that he would obtain all project-related documents, study the matter, and explore ways to stop the alleged development if violations were found.
