CANACONA: Residents of Loliem have strongly opposed a proposed luxury villa project in the village, raising concerns over its environmental impact and questioning the basis on which the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department granted approval.
The opposition came during a site inspection conducted by the Village Panchayat of Loliem-Polem for the proposed Vianaar Homes Private Limited project in Survey Nos. 349/1 (Part) and 358/19. The project proposes the construction of 49 luxury villas, each with a private swimming pool.
To ensure transparency, the panchayat had invited representatives of the project developer, members of the Citizens Committee of Loliem and the concerned ward panch to participate in the inspection of the proposed residential units, swimming pools and compound wall.
During the inspection, villagers expressed serious concerns that the development could adversely affect Loliem’s biodiversity and environmentally sensitive landscape. They pointed out that the village falls within an Eco-Sensitive Zone notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and argued that large-scale construction could threaten the area’s ecological balance.
Residents also highlighted Canacona’s recurring water shortages, particularly during the summer season, stating that a project of this scale, with 49 private swimming pools, would place additional strain on the region’s already stressed water resources.
They further claimed that the project site serves as a natural habitat for wildlife and warned that the proposed development could disrupt local fauna and their ecosystem.
The Citizens Committee also questioned the validity of the TCP approval, alleging that it was granted based on the existence of a 10-metre-wide access road. However, according to villagers, the road measured only around 4.5 metres during the site inspection, prompting demands for an inquiry into the information used while approving the project.
A large number of residents attended the inspection, along with Panchayat Secretary, members of the Village Panchayat, representatives of Vianaar Homes Private Limited, and local residents including Denis Fernandes, Prashant Pagi, Dattaprasad Prabhugaonkar, Sanjan Naik and former Sarpanch Shailesh Pagi.
