CHICALIM: The Chicalim Youth Farmer’s Club (CYFC) strongly objected to an alleged massive hill cutting activity being carried out in the ward number 11, apparently in an ancestral property belonging to Nuvem BJP MLA Aleixo Sequeira.
The CYFC on Saturday filed written complaints in this regards with the Chicalim Village Panchayat and the South Goa Collector.
The complaint stated that the CYFC wanted to bring to the notice of the authorities, the extensive hill cutting activity with earthmoving machinery underway in Survey Number 151/4 in ward Gina in a property belonging to Aleixo Sequeira.
The Farmer’s Club claimed that the contentious area is classified as A2, which is a No Development Zone (NDZ) having a high gradient. It appealed to the authorities to inspect the site on priority basis and to stop the massive hill cutting.
“Kindly issue stop work order as it appears that the work carried out with earthmoving machinery is in violation of the law,” the complaint stated. They also annexed photographs of the ongoing hill cutting.
Ward member Roman Vaz said that though the South Goa Collector, who is also the chairperson of South Goa District Disaster Management Authority has granted some permission for hill cutting, the villagers were not sure how much gradient was permitted.
“Long ago, I had brought it to the notice of Chicalim Biodiversity Management Committee when the hill cutting had just started. We conducted a joint inspection at the site and found that Aleixo Sequeira has been granted some permission by the Collector.”
Vaz said that he is primarily concerned about the safety of children and villagers as PWD trucks have been plying through the village road transporting excavated mud.
He said that he would raise the issue before the next panchayat meeting scheduled soon and ensure that the ongoing hill cutting is stopped.
Chicalim Biodiversity Management Committee Chairman Rui Costa Araujo demanded to know how the authorities allowed hill cutting in an area which is classified as A2 and no development zone and having a high gradient? There was no danger of a landslide and there was no need to cut the hill. Land owner Sequeira has gone much beyond and exceeded the permission.
“When we questioned the contractor, he said that they will cut a few metres and stop. But the massive hill cutting in on under the supervision of PWD and the PWD trucks with labels ‘On Government Duty’ are transporting excavated mud to Margao for bypass road,” Costa Araujo said.
