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News ArticlesActivists say Flying Squad didn’t entertain complaint.Herald Representatives of Village Groups of Goa, Goa Heritage Action Group and Utt Goenkara bitterly complained that the much-touted Flying Squad constituted to look into illegal hill-cuttings and filling up of low-lying areas had refused to entertain their complaint on Monday. A little over twenty representatives from these three groups assembled at the Old Goa by-pass road, just off Panjim limits, where media persons were called to see mangroves being cut and a portion of land being filled up by unknown people. Prajal Sakhardande of Utt Goenkara said they called the Flying Squad to bring to their notice the mangrove cutting and filling activity. “We fear the area is being filled up to make way for a residential complex. The deputy collector has told us he was aware of the matter and if he didn’t act they were free to come and protest at his office. Sakhardande said a zopadpatti was slowly taking shape in the area and spoiling the whole character of the place. When contacted Member Secretary of Goa Costal Zone Management Authority Michael D’Souza said he had already reported the matter to the deputy collector Sabaji Shetye. “I have asked him to verify who is involved. I will get back to him on this soon,” he assured. After highlighting the mangrove cutting, the members of the groups moved to the Kadamba Plateau, near Old Goa, to highlight the danger to a wall and arch of a Portuguese-era fort and a 11th century Kadamba-period stone paving. Prajal, who is also a historian and lecturer, said he feared the fort wall and stone paving called ‘rajbid' (meaning royal highway) abutting the former was in danger of being annihilated by construction activity. This royal highway was the ancient trade route during the Kadamba period and is a part of our heritage that has to be saved at any cost, he asserted. |
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