Siolim: There is rampant destruction of precious agricultural land in Siolim. While on one hand, politicians have been cutting off trees and demolishing compound walls to widen the roads in the once pristine village, on the other, villagers, mundkars, tenants, landlords and even migrants have been encroaching upon the pristine paddy fields, dumping mud and erecting houses, shops and buildings with the authorities concerned.

 

Land prices today in the village have skyrocketed to Rs 80,000 per sqm and is sold like hot cake to the highest bidder. The worst wards that have been affected today are Tarchi Bhat and Guddem. Mud is dumped into the low-lying paddy fields and the area is then sold to outsiders for a price. Even the custodian property in Guddem is not spared with illegal constructions dotting the pristine Udo Beach. The panchayat, the town planning and the other authorities prefer to see no evil. If one walks around Tarchi Bhat, it’s painful to see how the low-lying and fertile paddy fields are brazenly dumped with mud and constructions have come up all along the riverfront.

 

While the government has set up flying squads and put-up various authorities to see that no landfilling is done in low-lying areas, it looks like these agencies of the government are only paper tigers – both powerless and toothless. One wonders how water and electricity connections are released to such illegal structures thatviolate the laws of the land. A time will come when Green Goa will turn into stone and nothing will be left for the future generations to come. This serves as a reminder to one and all to keep our Goa Golden forever. Our hope lies in the Honourable High Court to save little that is left of our precious land in Goa.