Rural urbanisation cannot be haphazard; local character must be preserved
The proposed move to widen the major district road (MDR) between Chopdem and Keri to 25 metres has been met with strong opposition from residents. They have submitted memoranda to the authorities concerned, expressing strong opposition, alleging the widening is meant to benefit a major project. With the increase in tourism activities along the coastal areas of Pernem taluka, the road has become busy in the past few years. People are also opposed to it as many houses within the widening area would be demolished. The demand gained traction, and with Opposition and activists joining hands, the local MLA Jit Arolkar allayed their fears, saying no house would be demolished and that the road would be widened to a maximum of 10 metres.
Without going into the merits of the above case, what comes to mind is that the government, over the years, proposes to widen roads whenever a major project is on the cards. It goes without saying that no major project, including a mega residential complex, comes up in any area without the knowledge of the local MLA. In the past decade, Goa’s rural profile — especially in the coastal talukas — has undergone a major change, and we don’t know what more ‘development’ they will witness.
Undoubtedly, villages also need development. They cannot be denied the opportunity. However, what is observed is completely haphazard development. Different types of illegalities have crept in. This is in addition to the illegal constructions that have been allowed with political patronage for vote-bank politics. Now, there are attempts to go slow on the implementation of the High Court order on illegal constructions, or even to circumvent it.
In the late 1990s, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations were few. What started in the first decade of the new millennium took a drastic turn in the second decade as mega projects of all sorts began to emerge. There has been a spurt in the post-Covid period. For ‘peaceful living’, people from outside Goa prefer villages. Orchards have turned into settlement areas, and vertical concrete structures are now seen amidst green patches of forest. People from high-pollution regions have moved here for health reasons.
With political backing, projects are approved by panchayats, which are controlled by MLAs, without any study on their implications for the respective villages. There cannot be a ban on buildings in villages, but certain norms must be followed. The Regional Plan had specified certain parameters. Here comes the issue of village roads. Road accidents have occurred due to black spots. In how many cases have the authorities cleared these black spots? Without addressing this, there are moves in several villages to widen the village roads. In the last decade or so, there have been more accidents and deaths after roads were widened. Reckless driving and over-speeding rule the roost. Pedestrians fear being knocked
down by vehicles.
Whatever the reason, the Mandrem MLA has stood by the people. More MLAs need to follow suit to protect the villages from the onslaught of a different kind of ‘development’.
Under the Panchayati Raj system, the panchayats cannot behave like rubber stamps of some politicians to give consent to plans approved by the Town and Country Planning Department. They are elected by the people to take decisions in the interest of the respective village, not for vested interests. When will Goa see a movement to protect the village character?
