The protest marked the completion of 100 days of a sit-in by people of Karapur and Sarvan villages in North Goa's Bicholim taluka. (Source: Express Photo)A group of villagers and activists staged a protest in Panaji on Monday against a proposed real estate project, alleging that the luxury township project threatens the village’s ecology, water security and agricultural heritage.The protest marked the completion of 100 days of a sit-in by people of Karapur and Sarvan villages in North Goa’s Bicholim taluka.The villagers alleged that the township project, One Goa, promoted by realty developer, the House of Abhinandan Lodha, proposes to develop over 53 hectares of land, and the project’s first phase includes construction of 1,388 luxury villa plots, a 5-star hotel and an artificial beach, converting agricultural and hilltop land into a luxury township. A delegation of villagers protested at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, too.The promoters of the project said all approvals for the project were in place and accused activists of trying to “politicise the issue”.The protesters, however, demanded the immediate suspension of all project activities and mega housing projects in the villages, a comprehensive and independent environmental impact assessment before any further development, and the protection of agricultural lands, groundwater recharge areas and ecologically sensitive hill ecosystems.Norma Alvares, environmental lawyer, said, “The larger issue here is the protest of the villagers against real estate projects, which are coming up in their village, changing its demography, and bringing in… people with different objectives into a village and destroying its harmony.”“The main objective is that the villagers do not want a [real estate] project, which will lead to the destruction of their village. The project will take away their water resources… You are going to bring in a whole lot of people… 1,388 plots… luxury plots. It means a whole new township, without any environment clearance, without any oversight of the government… simply a project, which is approved under the now-discredited section 17 (2) and 39 A of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act,” Alvares alleged.Story continues below this adA group of citizens and activists had filed a petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa last year, questioning the approvals granted for the development project on 53.5 hectares of land, with the first phase comprising 1,388 plots for building constructions, and other structures such as clubhouse, gym, 5-star hotel, artificial beach, etc, “without any assessment of environmental impact and environment clearance”.The petition argued that the project involved “clear and unambiguous display of conflict of interest, colourable exercise of power and abuse of power” by the Town and Country Planning Department, in the approvals granted under section 17(2)/39A of the TCP Act. The matter is pending before the High Court.A spokesperson of the House of Abhinandan Lodha, in a statement, said they were “open to dialogue”, but alleged that there was an effort from activists to “politicise the issue rather than present the facts”.“We have consistently maintained that all the required approvals for our project are in place, and we are also open to dialogue with the villagers who are the real stakeholders. Despite this, certain activists have repeatedly attempted to politicise the issue, as every possible attempt to disrupt the progress, legally, of our project has failed. Since these efforts have not succeeded, they have now taken the matter to Delhi, reportedly with the backing of a political party,” the statement said.Story continues below this ad“We believe this approach is unnecessary and does not serve the interests of Goa. Instead of these activists pursuing personal political ambitions, their focus should be on the state’s development and the long-term benefits that balanced and responsible development can bring to Goa’s villages, local communities, and economy,” it added.Pavneet Singh Chadha is the Goa Correspondent of The Indian Express. His reporting focuses intensely on the state of Goa, covering major developments in politics, governance, and significant local events, which establishes his high degree of Expertise and Authority in the region. Expertise Geographic Expertise: As the Goa correspondent, Pavneet provides on-the-ground, comprehensive coverage of Goa's political, social, and cultural landscape, ensuring readers receive timely and localized insights. Key Coverage Focus: His recent work demonstrates deep investigative capabilities and a focus on high-impact stories, including: Investigative Reporting: Extensive coverage of complex events such as major incidents (e.g., the Goa nightclub fire), tracing the legal, political, and safety lapses involved. Government and Law Enforcement: Detailed tracking of police actions, deportations, and legal proceedings related to significant local cases. Policy and Governance: Reporting on the judiciary (e.g., Goa High Court flagging illegal structures) and the actions of government departments. He tweets @pub_neat ... Read More Tags:Goa