PANAJI: The Town and Country Planning (TCP) department has approved a new set of zone change proposals across Goa, permitting the transformation of extensive areas of orchards, arable land, natural cover, and even regions on no-development slopes into settlement zones, as per Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act.
These approvals, issued through two separate notifications, affect over 98,058 sqm of green space across various villages in Pernem, Bardez, Tiswadi, and other areas. The TCP received applications from individual applicants and major developers including Sky Sun Real Estate LLP, Gangareddy Infra, Dempo Properties, Adwalpalkar Construction, and Satt Adhar Builders. Several recommendations are pending clearance from the water resources and forest departments.
The TCP has provided a 30-day period for filing objections.
Adwalpalkar Construction sought land conversion for a 17,317 sqm plot in Curca, which includes sections of orchard, natural cover, and no-development slope. The TCP approved the conversion of orchard and natural cover to settlement as the slope was deemed suitable for construction.
Kibana Assets also requested a land use change in Mandrem, affecting land that was partially orchard and settlement, with regions on no-development slopes. This request was approved as the slope met the permissible conditions.
Satt Adhar Builders proposed converting 9,600 sqm of cultivable land in Corgao, Pernem, which lies partly in an irrigation command area and partly on no-development slope, to a settlement zone. This conversion was approved, contingent upon obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the water resources department.
Gangareddy Infra applied for the conversion of two plots in Morjim (4,120 sqm and 4,090 sqm), both of which were recommended for approval.
Several individual proposals for plots in Soccoro, Salvador-do-Mundo, and Morjim seeking to change the zoning from natural cover or orchard on no-development slopes to settlement have been cleared, subject to regulatory assessment or reports from the forest department where necessary.
Dempo Properties, in collaboration with Alcon Developers, received approval for multiple plots in Siridao, totaling roughly 113,305 sqm, which involved orchard, settlement, and natural cover. Sky Sun Real Estate, located in Penha de Franca, requested the conversion of land from orchard and settlement to settlement zone, with the TCP’s approval depending on a report from the forest department due to overlaps with no-development slopes.
