TCP dept proposes to tag over 1cr sqm as non-developable zone

Panaji: More than 1 crore sqm of land across six villages have been proposed to be permanently designated as non-developable zones (NDZ) under the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act’s Section 39A mechanism.

The TCP department continues to simultaneously process private applications seeking conversion of land into settlement and other developable zones.The latest notification issued by the town and country planning (TCP) department invites public objections and suggestions to proposals covering land spread across Goa Velha (Tiswadi), Ambelim, Sirlim, Dramapur, Cavelossim and Chinchinim.If approved by govt after the statutory consultation process, these lands will be redesignated as non-developable areas, effectively preventing future development.The largest proposal pertains to Chinchinim, where 47 lakh sqm has been recommended for protection. This is followed by Dramapur with 16.6 lakh sqm, Ambelim with 15.7 lakh sqm, Sirlim with 12 lakh sqm, Goa Velha with 8.5 lakh sqm and Cavelossim with 3 lakh sqm.The notification covers extensive tracts comprising paddy fields, cultivable land under irrigation command areas, orchards, rivers, nullahs, canals, mangroves, salt pans and fish farms.

In Cavelossim, even portions presently classified as settlement zone and orchard have been proposed for conversion into non-developable zone.The proposals were approved by the Goa town and country planning board during its board meeting held on June 29. The department has now opened the proposals for public inspection and invited objections within 30 days before they are reconsidered by the board and forwarded to govt for a final decision.The latest notification illustrates the increasingly dual character of the Section 39A process. While public attention has largely centred on applications seeking conversion of agricultural and orchard lands into settlement zones, the same statutory mechanism is also being used to place ecologically sensitive landscapes under stricter planning protection by declaring them non-developable.The notification comes amid continuing debate over Section 39A, which allows govt to alter the Goa Regional Plan 2021 through individual applications instead of undertaking a comprehensive planning exercise.Activists have argued that piecemeal modifications dilute regional planning, while govt has maintained that the provision enables legitimate corrections to the land-use plan. The entire process remains subject to the outcome of petitions challenging the legality of the 2024 rules before the Bombay high court.