Learn from Chennai, ban filling paddy fields and hill cuttings: NCP
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 05 December 2015 18:48 IST
Learning from the horrendous floods of Chennai, the Nationalist Congress Party has demanded total ban on filling of paddy fields and low lying areas as well as hill cuttings in Goa while formulating Regional Plan 2021.
“The man-made disaster of Chennai is an eye opener to all of us, but our town and country planning minister appears to be functioning without heart and not bothered about the generations to come”, said Trajano D’Mello, the NCP spokesperson for Goa.
In view of Chennai experience, he has also demanded that a buffer zone be maintained around water bodes to prevent pollution and measures be undertaken to create water catchment areas.
He addressed a press conference in the background of the government opening the RP-21 for public suggestions and rectifications.
“If the government wants real public participation, then the RP-21 should be sent to village Gramasabhas to delete settlement areas marked in the unwanted places like paddy fields, eco-sensitive zone etc”, demands D’Mello.
Allowing eco-tourism projects in five per cent area of eco-sensitive zone is a fraud, he felt and demanded scrapping of the provision for eco-tourism projects.
According to him, the town and country planning act has been amended to allow the eco-tourism activity without formulating any guidelines or rules to protect the eco-sensitivity of the area.
“Revoke this ordinance immediately till the guidelines and rules are framed”, said D’Mello.
Similarly, the NCP also demanded total ban on mega projects till a proper policy is prepared by appointing an expert committee, which would study the impact of such mega project on the infrastructure, environment and demography.
He also felt that government needs to define what mega project is.
