Though the Department of Revenue has power to act against illegal land filling all over state, rampant filling of agricultural land has been witnessed in the Tiswadi taluka.

In March itself Deputy Collector of Tiswadi has issued one stop-work notice and another show cause notice following a complaint from the locals.

It has been revealed and also pictured by Herald that at many places in St Cruz and Taleigao, illegal land filling has been done besides the road.

The modus operandi is very simple. First they start dumping debris in the area and soon after one monsoon they start levelling the area and erect a temporary structure.

Such widening and filling has seen witnessed mostly in St Cruz and Taleigao. Many illegal shanties have even come up in the illegally filled areas.

One of the classic examples of illegal land filling can be seen at Bhatlem on the Taleigao road, which is just behind the house of ruling councillor of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).

This filling of the land is not yet completed but illegal structures have already come on these areas. Businesses like garage and chicken centres have already been built in the filled-up areas.

Environmentalists and ecologists have raised an alarm over such activities in the vicinity of their residential areas but most of their complaints go unheard.

Another example is the road which connects St Cruz village to Taleigao. On both sides of the road open fields have been covered either with mud or debris.

Opposite the San Miguel Church, Taleigao over a dozen allegedly illegal shanties has come up near the cemetery. Surprisingly these shanties have been provided with electricity connections and water is being supplied to them by private tankers.

Another resident of St Cruz, Domnic Pereira said that roads are being widened after filling at many places just to convert the adjacent areas in the interest of the builder lobby.