The southernmost taluka of Canacona—famed for its lush forests, vibrant greenery, and a treasured wildlife sanctuary—is now in the crosshairs of the contentious Sections 17(2) and 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act. Authorities are seeking to convert more than five lakh square metres of verdant land, raising alarm among locals and environmentalists alike.
A recent compilation by goanews.com, based on Assembly replies from TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane, revealed a staggering 65 applications seeking to rezone a sweeping 5,10,389 square metres of Canacona’s land.
Of these, only one application—spanning 3,23,141 square metres—has been approved to transition from settlement to green cover. The remaining 1,87,248 square metres, however, face the prospect of being transformed into settlement zones.
While much of the current debate centres on Section 39A, it is actually Section 17(2) that poses a greater threat to Canacona. There are 37 applications seeking to convert nearly 1 lakh square metres of green land into settlement zones, affecting as many as 7 villages.
The targeted areas stretch from the northern reaches of Cola and Agonda, through Chaudi and Nagarcem-Palolem, all the way to the southernmost villages of Poinguinim and Loliem. Some applications refer vaguely to ‘Canacona,’ omitting specific village or town names.
Section 39A, meanwhile, has seen 28 applications—often linked to the notorious land mafia—covering 1.87 lakh square metres across these villages.
It’s not just paddy fields, orchards, and natural green cover at risk; even reserved forests and a local playground are on the chopping block.
In a twist of political irony, the Goa Forward Party—currently leading calls to repeal Section 39A—counts among its newest members Isidore Fernandes, a former MLA affiliated with both Congress and the BJP, who himself is a prominent applicant for land conversion.
Fernandes has requested the conversion of 11,579 square metres of his own land in Loliem village, which includes orchards, patches of natural cover, and slopes designated as No Development Zones.
Girish Kumar Pillai, an independent candidate in the last Assembly election from Cortalim, has also sought to reclassify 180 square metres of his orchard and No Development Slope land in Loliem as a settlement zone.
According to the government’s most recent statement in the Assembly, three applications have already been notified. Notably, the largest of these—about 3.23 lakh square metres—was converted from a settlement zone back to a green zone.
The other two, however, went the opposite way: Anabella Fernandes E Coutinho’s 2,725 square metres in Agonda (orchard and No Development Slope), and Vismay Bhanudas Porob Dessai’s 1,318 square metres in Cola (natural cover and No Development Slope), were both reclassified as settlement zones.
