Illegal Constructions In North Goa Increased Over 100 Times In Last 5 Years: GCCF

PANAJI: According to press note, an audit of constructions in North Goa conducted by the Goa Citizens Civic Forum (GCCF) has revealed that illegal construction activity, including additional or add-on structures, modifications to existing structures and blatantly illegal construction work have increased nearly 100 times since 2010-2015.

This does not include land modifications, hill-cutting, land filling and land zone conversions which have been done illegally over the last few years. The GCCF audit only looked at constructed or built-up structures, which are either new or modified over the last few years.

There are glaring violations of TCP and FSI rules, not to forget CRZ norms in the coastal belts of Baga, Calangute and Calangute. In addition to these areas, St Cruz, Taleigao, Betim, Dona Paula, Porvorim, Siolim, Arpora, Anjuna, Vagator, Mala, Bambolim, Parra, Canca, Morjim and areas adjoining Mapusa, account for about 85 per cent of the illegal structures in North Goa, said Advocate Primrose D’souza, legal head of the Goa Citizens Civic Forum.

D’souza said they are also looking at land modifications, hill-cutting, land filling and land zone conversions and will issue a separate advisory on the same very soon.

“We have also not taken into account slum areas and shanties that have mushroomed all over Goa in the last ten years,” Adv Dsouza said.

MLAs like Michael Lobo have supported such illegal structures on the grounds that they are constructed by “sons of the soil” or “Bhumiputras”, but the GCCF survey shows that many of the illegal shops, rooms and structures are eventually either rented out or sold to ‘outsiders’ at a huge premium, Adv Sunil Prasad of the GCCF alleged.

Many residential structures in CRZ zones are modified or outright re-constructed from the foundation upward using 3 to 5 times the permissible FSI and FAR and rented out at astronomical deposits to businessmen from North India, the GCCF survey said.

About 25 percent of these structures are either directly owned or connected to politicians in North Goa, Adv Dsouza said.

The GCCF is conducting a similar audit in South Goa and the results are expected soon.