After the formation of the 'ABA' [Aldona Bachao Abhiyan] to fight/stop the ravages of hill-cutting by the Acron Developers in Panth-Carona/Aldona, the first well organized and vocal opposition to the massively planned 'gated community project' by Acron in the Village of Moira took place at the regular Gram Sabha Meeting of the Village Panchayat of Moira, today, the point on the agenda for the day having been taken last for discussion and deliberations.
The Gram Sabha was over-attended with the Panchayat hall being inadequate to accommodate the unusual number of Gram Sabha members, a resolution has been passed that the next Gram Sabha Meeting will be held 'on trial' basis at the larger premises of the 'Moira Club' whether the Elected Panchayat Body likes it or not - where some individual Panch Members were not in favour of the same. Such a resolution was passed previously at the Gram Sabha, but the Body had persisted that the Panchayat Hall would be adequate enough with minor seating arrangement modifications. The Acron file was scrutinized in detail and it was found that the file did not contain the 'Contour' plan of the property which is a very steep sloping property admeasuring 17,000 odd square meters, located just adjacent to the 'Lourdes Chapel' at Calizor - Moira. The project proposes to build 15 hi-profile bungalows with individual swimming pools for each bungalow, a common full size swimming pool and a club house, with no STP [Sewage Treatment Plant] but just two septic tanks, no garbage disposal area marked etc. The Panchayat Body was intensely questioned as to why a public hearing was not conducted before approving the file knowing fully well that the more conscious villagers of Moira will raise questions over the resultant large scale hill-cutting and ecological onslaught on peaceful and environmentally balanced Moira. The Panchayat Body has been asked to 'recall' the file and/or 'revoke the 'building license since this project is viewed as damaging through cutting of corners stipulated in building rules and regulations, especially for properties with gradient of 20 degrees and above. The suspicion of the well informed is re-enforced due to the inclusion of a small strip in the middle of the site-plan indicating a 'steep slope' to supplement the full and complete 'contour' plan as provided in the Town & Country Planning Rules and Regulations. It is further noticed that the design of each bungalow is such that it contains a stilted basement with two flights of stairs leading to the main floor plus one, which can be easily considered as 'ground plus two' for all units. It is feared that the total earth excavation resulting from this required hill-cutting to accommodate the basements as well as the swimming pools etc will be approximately not less than 1,00,000 cubic meters. The Sarpanch (and the Panch Members) has shown a somewhat late solidarity with the concerns of the people of Moira and is expected to give due respect to the passed resolution to 'recall' the file for further deliberations and discussions. The main concern being that Moira is very much deficient in ground water, which has been erroneously or deliberately not included as such in the chart of water deficient areas by the concerned authorities. Invariably, this project will require massive amount of water to keep its swimming pools in service thereby overloading the existing water resources available in the Village of Moira. It has been made very clear to the Panchayat body that the citizens of Moira are not against planned development which will take into consideration the larger problems faced by the growing village but will oppose unplanned and clandestinely authorized development that will aggravate and/or compromise on the enviro-ecological and demographic parameters of the peaceful village. This project is also viewed as the project cleared under the RP-2011 which is being sold to the public consumption as scrapped, but which is in fact very much alive, only clandestinely. It is amply clear from the way the relevant authorities have gone about approving such mega gated-development projects in unsuspecting villages like Aldona, Moira, Carmona, Siridao etc. by cutting all possible statutory corners, that the 'Representative Democracy' ends the day the 'Election Results' are declared. Floriano Lobo Gen. Secretary, Goa Environment Action Group Goa Su-Raj Party 383A, Pirazona, Moira-Bardez-Goa-403 507 Ph: (0832) 2470223 - (M) 9890470896 www.goasu-raj.org
