Panaji: Around 700 villagers gathered for the gram sabha at Santa Cruz on Sunday, mainly to demand proper demarcation of the zone of influence around the Bondvoll lake before any construction is permitted around this wetland.
Villagers said that chief minister Pramod Sawant has promised that the issue of resurvey of the area around Bondvoll lake would be taken up at the meeting of the Goa state wetland authority (GSWA) to be chaired by the CM on Feb 11.The villagers warned that if any construction permissions are issued before the zone of influence is clearly demarcated around Bondvoll lake, they would hold a major agitation.The villagers had earlier met officials of the GSWA.Santa Cruz villagers have been protesting against any development around the Bondvoll wetland for several decades now. However, the issue was reignited after the villagers said that a private party was seen carrying out surveys for a project around the lake.The villagers alleged that the GSWA has notified a very narrow buffer zone around the lake and said that any unchecked construction around the lake would destroy the ecology of the wetland area.Sunday’s gram sabha was specially called to discuss the Bondvoll issue, said former panch Dominic Pereira. However, the meeting was cut short after a senior citizen died after suffering a heart attack while participating in the discussions.Pereira said that nevertheless, the villagers are unanimous that they should wait until the outcome of the Feb 11 wetland authority meeting. He said the villagers have decided to take to the streets to protest if resurvey of the Bondvoll lake area is not conducted, clearing demarcating and notifying a wider buffer zone and a clearcut zone of influence.“We were told by officials that we should have given our written objections when these objections were called during the wetland notification process. A case in the matter was going on in the high court at the time and we faithfully waited for its verdict as we had sought a 200m buffer zone. Unfortunately the matter was later dismissed from the court. But we are firm that the zone of influence should be increased. We will strongly object to any construction in the zone of influence,” said a villager.
