Panaji: More than 530 hectares of land, which is 53 lakh sqm, have been unlocked for settlement under Section 39A of the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, according to compiled data of all proposals granted provisional and final approval across the state.The scale of reclassification, largely from orchard, agricultural and natural cover to settlement, reveals that what was introduced as a mechanism for minor “corrections” has turned into salami slicing of Goa’s eco-sensitive land.Over 51% of the total land converted under Section 39A is concentrated in just five villages, indicating a sharp geographic clustering of development pressure.The clustering is most visible in Pernem taluka, the data shows. TOI had published a report on Oct 10, 2023 highlighting how the draft zoning plan 2023 for Pernem had proposed to convert 1.4 crore sqm, around 21% of green cover of the taluka protected under Regional Plan 2021 for development.The report prompted the PMO to intervene and led to TCP minister Vishwajit Rane scrapping the plan to create taluka level zoning plans. The data now shows that the TCP department continued with incremental zoning changes using Section 39A as the mechanism to facilitate case-by-case conversion of land.Corgao in Pernem accounts for the single largest share, with 10.5 lakh sqm converted to settlement. It is followed by Sancoale in Mormugao with 7 lakh sqm, Old Goa with 4.3 lakh sqm, Parcem with 2.8 lakh sqm, and Tivim in Bardez with 2.6 lakh sqm. Together, these five villages account for 27.2 lakh sqm of zone changes, more than half of all approvals granted under the section. In addition to Corgao and Parcem, significant settlement approvals have been recorded in Arambol (2,39,979sqm), Mandrem (2,05,950 sqm) and Morjim (1,87,005sqm). These figures include final approvals for land conversion as well as provisional land use change clearances.The data indicates that northern coastal and hinterland villages are absorbing the largest share of incremental zone conversions. The concentration gains significance in light of earlier attempts to rezone Pernem through a taluka-level zoning plan. Following widespread criticism, the taluka zoning approach was scrapped.Local residents and real estate developers attribute the conversion spree to the opening of the Manohar International Airport. The greenfield airport has intensified land demand in Pernem and adjoining coastal belts. Real estate projections have forecast sustained price growth in North Goa, especially in villages such as Morjim, Mandrem and Arambol. The conversion data aligns with this corridor of investment interest.Beyond Pernem, Sancoale’s 7 lakh sqm conversion footprint suggests a similar pattern. Sancoale is situated between Goa’s largest industrial estate and the Goa International Airport. The scale of settlement approvals there indicates a gradual shift from industrial or mixed land use to residential and commercial development.The data has been sourced from the Goa official Gazette, augmented with information obtained through RTI and analysed by PhD researcher Tahir Noronha.A north-south comparison further underscores the imbalance. The overwhelming share of the 53 lakh sqm converted under Section 39A is located in North Goa talukas of Pernem, Bardez and Tiswadi. South Goa accounts for a smaller and more fragmented share of reclassification.The inclusion of villages such as Se-Old Goa and Latambarcem among the higher conversion zones also raises questions about cumulative impact in heritage-adjacent and environmentally sensitive areas.
