NT Reporter
Ponda
Sancordem Panchayat has raised 47 objections and demands over the proposed notification declaring parts of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), with the concerns placed before the gram sabha on Sunday.
Following the discussion, sarpanch Sanjana Narvekar and Zilla Panchayat member Rupesh Desai decided to meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and seek his intervention over the proposal’s possible impact on residents, agriculture and livelihoods.
The demands, framed in the context of the proposed July 27 notification, cover housing, agriculture, horticulture, local businesses, tourism and infrastructure. While supporting conservation of forests, biodiversity, water sources and the Western Ghats ecosystem, the gram sabha sought protection for villagers.
A key demand is for the Environment, Forest, Town and Country Planning (TCP), Revenue/Survey and Panchayat departments to jointly conduct physical verification and publish a cadastral/GIS map identifying survey numbers and land parcels falling under the ESA. Clarity on whether the entire village would be covered or boundaries fixed plot-wise was also sought.
Among their demands is a survey of existing houses and clear guidelines for new construction, repairs, reconstruction and expansion, including how ESA provisions would apply alongside TCP/RP-2021 regulations. An independent survey of new and ongoing residential construction and a transparent mechanism to regularise eligible structures have also been sought.
The villagers have sought protection for farming, horticulture, kulagars and plantations, including coconut, areca nut, black pepper, sugarcane and cashew. They want a definition of “low-impact agriculture” and increased assistance for farm structures, equipment and fencing.
Separate regulations have been sought for small shops, workshops, food businesses, agro-processing units and traditional livelihoods, with such activities not being treated on par with mining, stone quarries or Red-category industries. An assessment of the impact on employment and family incomes was demanded.
For tourism, it wants a transparent single-window system for homestays, rural tourism, agritourism and low-impact eco-tourism, based on land availability, carrying capacity, infrastructure and regulations.
The village has further sought that ESA provisions not obstruct roads, water, electricity, drainage, sewage, telecommunications, waste management, schools, health facilities, emergency works and essential services.
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It has demanded cumulative and long-term assessment of the ESA’s impact on housing, land use, agriculture, employment, businesses, tourism and infrastructure, besides proper public consultation, adequate information and more time for objections.
The panchayat will forward its representation to the authorities and seek a written response.
