Oxel villa project: High Court dismisses petition citing STP safeguards

Staff Reporter

Panaji

In the matter relating to the construction of eight villas with a swimming pool near the Oxel spring in Siolim, the High Court of Bombay at Goa has disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Suraj Chodankar and
another petitioner.

The petitioners raised two main objections: first, that the construction was coming within 33 metres of the Oxel spring, officially known as Our Lady of the Sea Church Spring, Oxel, a water body they argued deserved protection under a prior High Court order; and second, that there was no six-metre-wide road leading to the project site, with only a four-metre-wide road reportedly available.

While disposing of the PIL, the High Court observed that the sewage treatment plant to be installed at the project site would address concerns over pollution of the Oxel spring. The court noted that, as clarified in the affidavit on record, the sewage treatment plant would be situated at a distance of 93.59 metres from the Oxel spring, mitigating the petitioners’ environmental apprehensions.

On the issue of road width, the High Court referred to a report submitted by the Town and Country Planning Department, signed by the Deputy Town Planner, based on a joint site inspection carried out on March 10, 2025, by the Inspector of Survey of Land Records, City
Survey, Mapusa.

The report specifically stated that “based on the plan submitted by the Inspector of Survey and Land Records, it is observed that there is no bottleneck and a 6-metre road, as mandated under the Goa Land Development and Building Construction Regulations, 2010, required for the construction of multi-family dwelling units, is available.”

The High Court concluded that the report addressed the second apprehension raised by the PIL petitioners regarding the road width and affirmed that the construction could proceed as per the approved plans.