Panaji: The town and country planning department has approved the designation of nearly 13 lakh sqm of eco-sensitive land across several Goa villages as non-developable areas.The decision, notified on Thursday under Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, covers more than 40 proposals spanning about 129.6 hectares in Ponda, Bardez, Tiswadi, Bicholim, Salcete, Mormugao and Canacona talukas.The tracts are classified under existing plans as mangroves, paddy fields, khazan lands, water bodies, orchards and other land uses. Officials said the notification was part of an ongoing exercise to alter and modify the regional plan and relevant outline development plans.Separately, the department approved settlement zoning changes covering 20,588sqm through eight applications for construction. The area designated as non-developable is nearly 63 times the area approved for settlement conversion.At Assagao, Ryago Homes Pvt Ltd received approval to convert 10,100 sqm, comprising 765sqm of orchard, 3,650sqm of orchard with no development slope and 5,685sqm of cultivable land within an Irrigation command area.Secondary development can proceed only after no-objection certificates are obtained from forest department and water resources department. Another 1,500sqm was already classified as settlement, taking the total property area to 11,600sqm.At Davorlim, 4,472 sqm was cleared for settlement, including 2,758 sqm of playground and 1,714sqm of orchard.In Morjim, 1,695sqm belonging to Anil Kapoor and others was approved for settlement as it fell within the permissible gradient. Another 1,124sqm parcel belonging to Turin Resorts Private Limited was approved, subject to a no-objection certificate from Goa State Disaster Management Authority before secondary development.
