Strong public fury has gripped Collem after the local panchayat issued a No Objection Certificate for a massive project to develop 60 one-acre plots in Survey No. 37/1D. Villagers and farmers, at Sunday’s gram sabha, slammed the decision and submitted a formal plea for its withdrawal. Despite TCP clearance, residents fear irreversible damage to mangroves, water bodies, and wildlife habitats in this no-mining buffer zone.
Environmental Alarms Sound Loud
Locals highlighted ongoing large-scale land filling that could choke natural water flow, causing severe monsoon flooding. “This will turn our village into a waterlogged disaster,” one farmer warned. They also decried the plots’ projected crore-value pricing, questioning affordability for Collem residents or Goans. Allegations of external pressures on the panchayat surfaced, with one member distancing herself from the NOC.
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Protests Loom Large
The sarpanch and secretary’s firm refusal to revoke the NOC has escalated tensions, with threats of massive demonstrations. The standoff underscores deeper issues of transparency in governance and ecological preservation in Goa. As debates rage, authorities face mounting pressure to intervene and protect Collem’s fragile ecosystem from unchecked development.
