Team Herald
PANJIM: A day after the Supreme Court warned the State government against turning Goa into a concrete jungle, environmentalists applauded the apex court’s strong message on protecting the State’s green cover.
The Supreme Court had dismissed the government’s Special Leave Petition against a High Court order, which directed a restraint on construction in the Outline development Plan (OPD) areas of Calangute, Candolim, Arpora, Nagoa and Parra.
Speaking to Herald TV, environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar expressed concern over rapid development in the region. “Hills are being cut, rivers polluted and agricultural fields are rapidly being converted into construction zones. Tiswadi taluka is already overburdened, and now popular beach areas like Calangute and Arpora are becoming victims of over-concretisation,” Kerkar said. “We’re not against building houses, but the unregulated way land is sold and buildings constructed will lead to traffic congestion, pollution, and environmental destruction.”
AAP Goa Convenor Amit Palekar also supported the ruling, stating, “The government is destroying Goa, and the Supreme Court has recognised this. We stand firm that Goa should be preserved for Goans, and AAP will do whatever it takes to ensure this.”
Environmentalist Ram-esh Gawas emphasised the importance of the Supreme Court’s decision. “The way concretisation is increasing in Goa, we’ll face serious issues in the future. There was no need for the State to approach the Supreme Court. The government, which receives international funds for climate change, should ensure there is no further environmental degradation," Gawas said.
The High Court ruling, issued on January 23 followed a hearing led by Justices M S Karnik and Nivedita P Mehta, who directed the State to impose a construction freeze in the five ODP villages in the Bardez taluka. This was in response to a PIL filed by the NGO Goa Foundation.