Panaji : After a spate of land conversions to settlement zones in recent months, the Town & Country Planning (TCP) Department has proposed changing a massive 103.6 lakh square metres of land to no development zone (NDZ).
It is the biggest conversion to NDZ, proposed so far this year by the department. The conversion is under the Regional Plan for Goa 2021, with a window period of 30 days for suggestions to the proposal. Significantly nearly all the land proposed for NDZ is in Salcete, of which the largest parcel is in Chinchinim (47.7 lakh sqm) comprising paddy fields, farms under Irrigation Command Area, river and nullahs, pond, canal, saltpans, mangroves, orchards, fish farm and cultivable land.
Other land in Salcete proposed for the NDZ status are in Ambelim (15.7 lakh sqm), Sirlim (12 lakh sqm), Dramapur (16.6 lakh sqm) and Cavelossim (3 lakh sqm).
In North Goa district, the department put up 8.5 lakh sqm of land in St Lawrence, Goa Velha, for zone change to NDZ.
Simultaneously the TCP recommended 21,085 sqm of partially orchard land with part natural cover and no development slope to settlement zone. On the proposal to the settlement zone only 620 sqm are in Sirvoi and Cacora. The remaining lands are in Morjim, Parra, Carapur, Dhargal, Nadora, and Bordem.
The said recommendations are subject to comments from different departments such as Forest Department, GCZMA, and Water Resources Department, says the notification signed by Chief Town Planner Vertika Dagur.
TCP’s last land conversion to NDZ was in May this year when the department proposed converting 31.5 lakh sqm of eco-sensitive land including mangroves, saltpans, khazan lands, paddy fields, water bodies, etc, to non-development.
