NEW DELHI: Goa has declared more than 82 lakh square metres of land as a no-development zone (NDZ) to protect ecologically sensitive hill slopes and prevent unplanned construction. Separately, the state government has approved eco-sensitive status for 6.72 crore square metres along the banks of two major rivers, officials said on Friday.
The decision, approved by the state’s Town and Country Planning (TCP) Board, covers areas including Majorda and Gonsua, totalling 82,85,000 square metres. The measure specifically targets hill slopes and mound areas where construction activity has raised ecological concerns, officials said.
In a separate but related development, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has approved a Goa Forest Department proposal to declare 6,729.54 hectares of land along the banks of the Mandovi and Zuari rivers as eco-sensitive, state Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane said.
The central approval will empower the state government to halt further development along the fragile river ecosystem, Rane said, adding that his ministry had already written to the state TCP Department directing it to stop all development activity within the designated riverine zone.
“Rice fields and low-lying areas will be declared NDZs to protect the ecology,” Rane said, noting that the government was also moving to bring agricultural land and low-lying areas under NDZ provisions to prevent misuse and preserve the state’s green cover.
Officials said the riverine eco-sensitive zone covers areas considered crucial for maintaining ecological balance, and that the decisions follow a series of directives issued by Rane to the Forest Department to curb unregulated development along critical waterways.
Goa, a popular tourist destination on India’s western coast, has faced increasing pressure on its natural landscape from construction activity and urban sprawl in recent years.
