Illegal landfilling at Merces irks locals

Panaji: Despite the pendency of a petition in the high court against the rampant landfilling at Merces and the adjacent areas, the illegal reclamation continues in the vast khazan areas already devastated by the activity. A patch of cultivable area on the northern side of the flyover at Merces is being reclaimed by dumping truckloads of mud over the past few days.
A complaint has been filed at the Old Goa police station by the Morombi-O-Grande comunidade against tenants who are allegedly carrying out the illegal activity.
A stay order had been issued by the flying squad some time back, stating that it is illegal to reclaim a low-lying field area under Section 17A of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1974.
The order had been issued when the illegality was noticed on the southern side of the present site in the same survey number.
“But the landfilling continues despite the stay order,” said the comunidade attorney, Brian Gonsalves.
The flyover near the Chimbel river has divided the property into two halves. The attorney and a local activist, Ana Gracias, complained to Old Goa police twice about the landfilling. On the weekend, they petitioned the collector and the mamlatdar about the continuing activity.
“A pit is also being dug by labourers at the site,’ the activist said.