With political blessings we are witnessing rampant hill cutting and filling of low-lying fields across Goa. All this is happening in connivance with the various governmental authorities who are conveniently turning a Nelson’s eye to all these environmental violations.

 

In our own backyard at Ribandar a huge hill cutting project has been going on in the fragile watershed of Mandovi River on a non-permissible gradient behind the V2 Mall and Mercedes showroom on the Kadamba Road. A huge wall of metal sheets has been erected to deviously hide and conceal all this unlawful blasting activity being done on a very steep slope.

 

Experts foresee a massive ecological impact like sudden slope instability, subsidence of the fragile porous hillock now denuded of tree cover with so many trees brazenly felled. This slope not being a stable area and there being dense settlement below in Ribandar, landslides would be common, thus impacting and endangering houses down below in Ribandar.

 

It must be ensured that all those involved in hill cutting and land filling must be ruthlessly and severely punished in accordance with law. These culprits must be made to restore all the land to its original position. The land use violation with political patronage has been widespread on the Kadamba plateau and urgently needs investigation. It is time to say enough is enough to the ever so greedy and heartless land mafia who have been mercilessly uncaring about the environmental consequences of their misdeeds. They need to be named and shamed.