Bicholim: After 161 days of protesting against the proposed mega housing project by House of Abhinandan Lodha (HOABL), residents of Karapur-Sarvan on Saturday called off their agitation after the village panchayat issued a stop-work notice to HOABL Impactum Pvt Ltd, Mumbai, the company undertaking the project.The development came after chief minister Pramod Sawant recently met the villagers and assured them in the assembly that the issue would be addressed. He subsequently directed the deputy collector to review all permissions granted for the project and take a decision in the interest of the villagers.Social activist Swapnesh Sherlekar said the stop-work notice was issued following the intervention of the CM, North Goa collector, Bicholim deputy collector and panchayat authorities. He said the notice was legally valid and would provide relief to residents who had opposed the project for several months.Dr Swapnil Salelkar, convenor of Karapur Gramastha Ekvoticho Aawaz, said issuing a stop-work notice to the company was the villagers’ primary demand.“Since our primary demand has now been fulfilled, we have decided to withdraw the agitation,” Salelkar said.Advocate Ajay Prabhugaonkar said that if the villagers found that the stop-work notice was not being properly implemented, they could approach the appropriate authority and seek further action.Local resident Gauresh Ghadi said the villagers decided to call off the agitation after the panchayat issued the notice, which was signed by sarpanch Avani Sawant.The villagers said their prolonged agitation was aimed at protecting Karapur-Sarvan’s natural resources and ensuring development did not come at the cost of the village’s environment. They described the decision as a major victory, with several locals particularly crediting women protesters for their sustained participation in the agitation.Residents have alleged that the proposed housing project could adversely affect the village’s environment and green cover. They have raised concerns over possible groundwater depletion, destruction of natural water bodies and agricultural land, and damage to hills and other ecologically sensitive areas.
