Flying squad inspects another landfilling site at Merces

Panaji: With the massive landfilling in the eco-fragile zone along river Mandovi already causing a furore, the north Goa flying squad inspected yet another ongoing reclamation along the road to Vaddy in Merces khazan land.
The illegal activity, which is being carried out close to the newly-constructed district and sessions court, was in progress for about a fortnight. Truckloads of mud have been dumped at the site and the surface level has been raised by about a metre in the low-lying field. Agriculture has almost come to a standstill in the area.
The office-bearers of Morombi O Pequeno comunidade of Merces had on Thursday complained to the flying squad. “The matter is being investigated,” a source said.
The area of the cultivable land buried so far is roughly about 700 sqm to 1,000 sqm. But comunidade sources raised apprehensions that the illegal land use change may be an attempt to reclaim more area in due course of time.
The other reclamation which was discovered accidentally by a local tenants association member is in 7,000 sqm of land, also belonging to the comunidade. Paddy fields, mangroves and partly a water body have been allegedly destroyed for a dumping site and scrapyard.
“The residents of Merces, Chimbel, Panaji and nearby areas should strongly press for restoration of khazan land. The area is not much higher from the sea level and heavy rainfall may cause unprecedented flooding within and periphery of the area,” Jose Carmino Joao, attorney of Morombi O Pequeno said.