PANAJI: This week, the town and country planning (TCP) board tentatively approved a new set of zoning change proposals, highlighting an increasing trend of urban expansion in North Goa’s valued villages.
The 19 proposals announced by the TCP are primarily focused on areas like Salvador do Mundo, Assagao, Taleigao, Mandrem, and Parcem, all of which are under significant real estate pressure. Notably, several developers, including Rajlaxmi Dealcom Pvt Ltd, Adwalpalkar Construction & Resorts Pvt Ltd, and Priority Constructions, have sought zone changes specifically in Salvador do Mundo. This concentration indicates a definite push towards urbanization in Bardez, Pernem, and Tiswadi, encroaching into semi-rural and ecologically sensitive locations.
Priority Constructions is advocating for a significant shift, proposing a conversion from settlement (S1) to special commercial (SPC) zones at Taleigao, reflecting a rising demand for commercial projects in the outskirts. SPC zones would allow for the construction of taller buildings.
A few requests also come from South Goa, such as in Sao Jose de Areal in Salcete (conversion from paddy field to settlement zone), and Usgao and Xelvona, where small orchard plots are being proposed for change.
Most applications involve converting small and mid-sized plots (ranging from 200sqm to 8,000sqm) from orchard or natural cover to settlement zones. The TCP has also received a request for a 39,000sqm area in Parcem slated for conversion from orchard to settlement use.
According to the gazette, all proposals were reviewed and green-lit by the TCP board in meetings held between September and December, after assessment by the department under Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974. These approvals hinge on input from the forest department, the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority, and the water resources department, as many properties are located within natural cover, slope, or coastal regulation regions.
An unusual case in the list is a rectification order for Cansaulim (Mormugao), where the applicant seeks to revert land previously designated as settlement back to a paddy field and water body.
Public feedback on these 19 proposals has been invited within 30 days from the gazette publication. The TCP board will make a final decision after reviewing submissions from citizens and local bodies. While the department asserts that all proposed conversions meet “permissible gradients” and are legally validated, the scale and clustering of these modifications raise concerns about ongoing tensions between urban development and ecological preservation, according to various stakeholders.
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