Opposition to the proposed aviation and aero sports hub on the Qui tol–Betul plateau is intensi fying, with the Betul gram sabha formally opposing the project even as a citi zen-backed petition gathers support seeking to halt the development. At the gram sabha meet ing convened by the Betul panchayat, villagers unan imously demanded im mediate revocation of the in-principle approval re portedly granted by the Goa Investment Promo tion and Facilitation Board (Goa-IPB) to M/s Skydiving Adventures Pvt Ltd for the project proposed at the Qui tol Industrial Estate. The approval had been granted at the 40th meeting of the Goa-IPB held on De cember 23, 2025. The meeting, chaired by Sarpanch Saluasion Si moes, called for a compre hensive and independent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before any further approvals are considered by the Goa In dustrial Development Cor poration (Goa-IDC) and the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB). The gram sabha also demanded that all permissions related to the project be kept on hold until such an assessment is completed. Villagers further sought formal recognition of the Quitol–Betul plateau as a Biodiversity Heritage Site in order to safeguard it from industrial and com mercial development. Deputy Sarpanch Da mas D’Silva read out the resolution tabled by Seby Fernandes calling for an im mediate halt to the aviation hub project on the plateau. Villagers attending the meeting raised slogans such as “Save Quitol, Save Betul” and “Save Our Pla teaus” while voicing strong opposition to the project. Participants also point ed out that the panchayat had no prior knowledge of the in-principle approval reportedly granted by the Goa-IPB to the company. Residents from Betul, Qui tol and Naqueri were stated to be strongly opposed to the proposal. Villagers also expressed concern that any ecological damage caused to the pla teau ecosystem would be irreversible. Deputy Sarpanch Damas D’Silva said the panchayat would immediately forward the resolutions adopted at the gram sabha to the Chief Minister, the Goa-IPB and the Goa-IDC, formally con veying the village’s opposi tion to the project. The proposed project reportedly involves devel opment across about 2.45 lakh square metres of pla teau land and includes facil ities for skydiving, aviation training, drone manufac turing and hospitality infra structure. The Goa-IPB has also recommended alloca tion of around 3,000 KVA of power and 3.5 KLD of water for the project. Environmental concerns surrounding the plateau have also been highlighted in a citizen petition oppos ing the project. The petition states that the Quitol–Betul plateau is not wasteland but a fragile lateritic plateau ecosystem that supports rich biodiversity and plays a crucial ecological role. According to the petition, 193 bird species have been recorded from the plateau through citizen observation platforms such as eBird and iNaturalist, including nine near-threatened and two vulnerable species listed un der the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, as well as 18 Schedule-I species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Mammals such as the golden jackal have also been recorded in the area, while the plateau also supports seasonal endemic plants including ground or chids and specialised plateau flora, besides reptiles, insects and invertebrates uniquely adapted to the rocky terrain. Lateritic plateaus are global ly recognised as rare ecosys tems that can take decades to recover once damaged. The petition further notes that the porous later ite rock of the plateau acts as a natural sponge during the monsoon, recharging groundwater that supplies nearby villages such as Qui tol, Betul and Naqueri. Echoing the concerns raised at the gram sabha, the petition also calls for revocation of the Goa-IPB’s in-principle approval for the project, an EIA before any permissions are grant ed, and recognition of the Quitol–Betul plateau as a Biodiversity Heritage Site to safeguard it from indus trial development. Other citizens have also raised questions about the broader implications of per mitting aviation and aero sports activity in the area. They pointed out that such activities could involve facili ties like an airstrip, low-flying aircraft or machines capable of operating at low altitudes, drone activity or even avia tion training schools. Residents said such oper ations could potentially im pose height restrictions or other limitations on future industrial development around the allotted area, which could affect other in dustries operating or plan ning to set up in the region. Concerns were also raised that once the company ex hausts the land currently allotted to it by the Goa-IPB, it could seek additional land in the same area in the fu ture. Some residents noted that the company has links to casino-related business es and that the mention of hospitality infrastructure in the proposal could open the door for hotel-related devel opment at a later stage. Citizens also questioned how the proposed project would impact the road net work leading to the plateau in the future. Meanwhile, it has also been noted that at the recent 41st meeting of the Goa-IPB chaired by the Chief Minister, two additional projects were approved for Quitol under the logistics and warehous ing category. One proposal involves an investment of ₹7.64 crore and is expected to generate around 70 jobs, while the other entails an in vestment of ₹9.08 crore with an estimated 80 jobs.
QUITOL AERO SPORTS HUB PROJECT ATTRACTS FURTHER IRE
