Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji
Panaji, Aug 2: The Western Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) at Pune has closed the suo motu proceedings concerning the proposed land conversion project on Pilerne Hill in Goa after concluding that the allegations raised in a media report were not substantiated.
The tribunal had taken suo motu cognisance of a news report published on July 19, 2025, which alleged that the proposed conversion of around 20,000 square metres of land in Pilerne village of Bardez taluk could trigger landslides and pose a threat to a nearby lake.
During the hearing, various state departments submitted affidavits clarifying the facts. The Goa Environment Department informed the tribunal that Survey Nos. 37/0 and 37/1 do not fall within any notified Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA) or Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). It also stated that there are no protected areas, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries or conservation reserves, in the vicinity.
The Goa Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department clarified that Survey Nos. 37/0 and 37/1 form a single property measuring around 1,22,500 square metres, contrary to claims that they were separate parcels. It further stated that no separate change-of-zone application had been processed for Survey No. 37/0 under Section 39A of the TCP Act, nor had any No Objection Certificate (NOC) for development been issued.
Addressing concerns regarding the terrain, the TCP Department explained that land with a gradient exceeding 25 per cent is classified as a 'No Development Slope' under the Goa Regional Plan-2021. It said that of the 30,000 sq m conversion proposal submitted by Mathias Construction, only 20,000 sq m with a gradient below 25 per cent had been recommended.
The tribunal also directed that any future development should be confined to areas with a gradient below 20 per cent to ensure compliance with safety norms and minimise landslide risks.
After considering the submissions, the NGT held that the site is neither located in an eco-sensitive zone nor poses a landslide risk under the approved development parameters, and accordingly closed the suo motu proceedings.