PANAJI: Residents of Karapur-Sarvan have been protesting The House of Abhinandan Lodha’s luxury housing project for 69 days. On Friday, they took their demonstration to the state capital, demanding a stop-work order from the government by Monday.
Joined by St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar, the villagers marched to the environment department office, successfully bypassing heavy police security at the directorate of panchayats, and headed straight to the town and country planning (TCP) office. There, they met with environment director and Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) member secretary Sachin Dessai.
The delegation urged an immediate halt to construction, claiming the project lacks necessary environmental clearance and other required approvals. Dessai assured that the situation would be discussed with the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC). The villagers plan to return on Monday for updates.
Activist Abhijit Prabhudesai highlighted severe regulatory violations, asserting that the project occupies over 50 hectares yet lacks the environmental clearance mandate for such large-scale developments. He alleged that plot sizes were reduced from 300 sq m to 100 sq m under the “affordable housing” category without a formal application.
Prabhudesai also stated that construction is ongoing without proper access roads and the necessary no-objection certificates (NOCs) from landowners.
Borkar criticized the slow enforcement, noting that there have been no site inspections despite numerous complaints. “Whole hills are being leveled, trees are being cut down, and wildlife is being harmed,” he said.
Social activist Swapnesh Sherlekar commented that this situation reflects a broader governance crisis, suggesting a troubling influence of external builders in Goa’s local affairs.
Members of the village Biodiversity Management Committee claimed that excessive borewell drilling has depleted local springs, tainted water sources relied upon by livestock, and compromised wetlands, significantly impacting agriculture and pastoral ventures.
A representative from the panchayat stated that the village of over 7,000 voters was never consulted prior to the project’s approval.
TOI attempted to contact The House of Abhinandan Lodha; however, the company declined to comment.
