A wave of re sistance is sweeping across Salcete taluka, as villagers from an increas ing number of villages join hands to oppose a govern ment-led survey linked to urbanisation, warning that it could pave the way for the conversion of vil lage land to benefit pow erful builder and real es tate interests. Opposition to proposed urbanisation of villages in Salcete taluka is intensi fying, with residents from Navelim, Davorlim and Aquem Baixo reiterating their firm rejection of any move that threatens the rural character, ecology and cultural fabric of their villages. Social activist Siddesh Bhagat, echoing growing public sentiment, stated that the people of these villages do not want ur banisation imposed in the name of development. “Our villages are not for sale. We strongly re ject urbanisation driven by builder and real estate lobbies. What we want is protection of our land, cul ture and future,” Bhagat said. Bhagat pointed out that the resistance is not limited to a few villages but reflects a wider movement across Salcete taluka, where sever al village communities have passed resolutions, staged protests, and submitted representations opposing proposals that could con vert agricultural and resi dential zones into urban or commercial areas. Over the past few days, villagers from Navelim, Davorlim and other ar eas have repeatedly ex pressed apprehensions that unchecked urbanisa tion would lead to loss of agricultural land, strain on water resources, traffic congestion, and irrevers ible damage to tradition al village life. Many fear that large-scale construc tion will primarily benefit builders and investors, while local residents will bear the environmental and social costs. Residents have also raised concerns about in adequate infrastructure to support urban expansion. “Our villages already face water shortages, flood ing during monsoons, and poor waste management. Urbanisation without basic planning will only worsen these issues,” said Bhagat. Activists argue that development should be people-centric and sus tainable, respecting vil lage-level planning under the Goa Panchayat Raj sys tem rather than imposing top-down urban models. They have called upon the government to strengthen village governance, pro tect zoning laws, and en sure that any development aligns with local needs and consent. Bhagat warned that ignoring the voices of villagers could lead to widespread unrest across Salcete. “People are unit ed. They will not allow decisions to be taken over their heads. This is about safeguarding Goa’s villag es for future generations,” he said. With opposition steadi ly growing, villagers have demanded that the gov ernment halt the survey and initiate transparent consultations with gram sabhas before taking any further steps.
Salcete villages unite firmly against urbanisation survey
