Calangute residents protest against alleged illegal road construction

Discharge underway for illegal road construction in Agar Waddo, Calangute.

MAPUSA

Calangute villagers are demanding action against developers accused of constructing unauthorized roads inside the village.

These roads, which were allegedly built without authorization, have aroused the indignation of the local population who are calling on the authorities to intervene.

In a specific case, Vinal Diukar filed a complaint with the Director Panchayat and other relevant authorities, alleging that an illegal road was being constructed in Agar Waddo, Calangute by developers Nitin Ganeriwal and Tarun Gupta.

The road would pass through survey numbers 344/1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 343/1, 2, 3 and 346/1. According to Diukar, these areas are low-lying rice fields owned by the Calangute community and its tenants, which were illegally filled with mud to create the road.

He claims that this activity aims to facilitate the construction of a hotel, which would lead to the encroachment and destruction of these rice fields.

“This activity is being undertaken to facilitate the construction of a hotel in the low-lying area and has resulted in encroachment on the paddy fields,” Diukar said in his complaint.

He urged authorities to immediately stop illegal construction and prevent further damage to the village's agricultural land.

In another incident, the Block Development Officer (BDO) and Calangute panchayat officials conducted an on-site inspection of a suspected illegal road under Survey No. 27/3-A at Naikavaddo, Calangute.

According to villagers, this road, which was built by another builder, was made by clearing forest land, thereby causing significant destruction of the natural habitat.

Further, the villagers alleged that the developer had encroached on a nullah belonging to Calangute comunidade.

Residents have expressed their frustration and concerns to local authorities, insisting that these unauthorized developments are causing environmental damage and disrupting the community's way of life.

They are demanding severe measures against the developers responsible for these illegal constructions.

The villagers' complaints highlight a broader problem of uncontrolled development and the need for strict regulatory oversight to protect Calangute's natural and communal resources. Authorities are urged to take immediate and decisive action to address these grievances and ensure the integrity of the village is maintained.