Team Herald
MARGAO: The villagers of Navelim, who have been facing hardships over the last decade due to the haphazard growth of educational institutions near the main junction in the village, are mobilising support along with Navelim Civic & Consumer Forum (NCCF) to stall the plans to extend an existing Higher Secondary School (HSS), which they fear would exacerbate the existing severe traffic congestion in the area.
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The issue was raised during Saturday’s panchayat meeting and is expected to be a major issue at the upcoming gram sabha on Sunday. The NCCF has submitted formal letters of protest to multiple authorities, including the Director of Education and the Navelim panchayat.
“Over the last decade, the villagers have been facing hardships due to the haphazard growth of educational institutions near the Navelim main junction,” stated the NCCF in their letter to education authorities. The forum highlighted that the heavy student flow along narrow roads results in daily traffic jams, affecting both students and residents.
According to the NCCF, the situation has become particularly problematic around the Church of Our Lady of Rosary, a major traffic junction. They added that despite the recent opening of the Margao Western bypass, traffic congestion persists as the number of students dropped off by cars continues to increase. It was also alleged that the vehicles of the teaching staff occupy parking spaces for extended periods, while football matches at the parish grounds further compound the problem due to vehicles parked by the spectators.
The controversy intensified when residents learned about the application made for a construction licence to extend the existing HSS. The NCCF claims the panchayat body is “all set to give permission for the above-mentioned construction in a hurry and by keeping the gram sabha members in the dark”.
The forum has accused various government departments of “mindlessly” granting permissions for educational buildings without considering basic infrastructure requirements such as parking, open spaces, and facilities proportional to the number of students. They alleged that the Zonal Education Office in Margao is “solely responsible for this increase in students”.
In their letter to the panchayat, the NCCF pointed out that schools from Panjim have been relocated to Curca, while Margao schools are being shifted to Davorlim to decongest those areas. They argue that Navelim faces similar congestion issues and should not add to the problem.
The issue of the proposed HSS extension has been raised at the previous gram sabhas, where the panchayat body had informed the gram sabha members that the matter couldn’t be discussed as no formal proposal had been submitted. Nevertheless, the gram sabha members had “vehemently voiced their opposition” to any extension, citing concerns about carrying capacity, parking, and traffic congestion. The NCCF alleged that the current rush to approve the construction is “done deliberately knowing that an overwhelming number of villagers are opposed to it”.
The forum reminded the panchayat of its role in village planning, urging them not to “resort to granting permissions blindly without considering the fact that it is going to be disastrous”.
It emphasised that the panchayat secretary and members would be ‘equitably and collectively liable’ for any decision that worsens Navelim’s traffic situation.
