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Goa's town and country planning (TCP) department has approved the conversion of over 35,000 sqm of orchard and natural cover into settlement zones across Calangute, Anjuna, Parra, Aldona, and parts of Bardez taluka. The 15 proposals, cleared under Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, include ecologically sensitive areas and require inputs from forest, water resources, and coastal authorities. Stakeholders have 30 days to raise objections before the TCP forwards its recommendations to the state government. The approvals follow recent land use revisions amid growing development pressure.
The TCP department has recently sanctioned large-scale land conversions in north Goa, opening orchards, natural cover, and areas previously under irrigation command or no development slopes for settlement use. The approvals cover over 35,000 sqm across Calangute, Anjuna, Parra, and Aldona, villages already under sustained development pressure. These changes were cleared during the TCP board's 225th meeting, and a gazette notification has been issued detailing the modifications. Advertisement
Fifteen proposals were approved, with the majority of land classified as ecologically sensitive. Conditional clauses were included for most approvals, requiring clearances from line departments, including forest authorities, water resources, and the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA). Critics, however, note that the TCP continues to clear such applications in fragments without a cumulative environmental impact study. Stakeholders now have 30 days to submit objections, after which the final recommendations will be forwarded to the state government.
In Anjuna, ELParaiso Ventures LLP received approval for 11,082 sqm, covering natural cover, irrigation-linked land, and areas with no-development slopes. The conversion was recommended subject to review by the water resources department due to sensitive water-linked zones.
In Calangute, Ashvagandha Betelnuts Pvt Ltd secured clearance for 6,525 sqm of land, which includes natural cover, no-development slopes, and part of a heritage landscape. The plot is within 500 m of the high tide line and is subject to review by the forest department and GCZMA. Another large conversion in Calangute went to Morpheus Hospitality Pvt Ltd for 3,862 sqm, also under forest department scrutiny.
Bardez taluka accounts for nearly two-thirds of the total area cleared, including seven proposals covering about 23,500 sqm. Smaller orchard-to-settlement conversions were approved in Aldona and Parra, with one 1,171 sqm area cleared despite being part of a no-development slope. Outside Bardez, luxury developers Vianaar and Megrez Estates received approval for 4,500 sqm in Khola, Canacona. Additional approvals include 4,000 sqm of natural cover in Usgao, Ponda, and land released from the institutional zone in Carambolim, Tiswadi, for residential use.
The approvals come shortly after the TCP revoked the conversion of 3 lakh sqm in Arambol, reflecting a cautious but continuing approach toward land reclassification. While developers welcome the move as a response to growing demand, environmental advocates emphasize the need for comprehensive planning to prevent ecological strain and unsustainable expansion in ecologically sensitive regions.
Source PTI
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