Goa's Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant, announced on Wednesday that the state government has formally requested the central government's committee overseeing the Western Ghats to exclude 40 villages from the eco-sensitive areas list in the region. The state government has been actively pursuing this matter with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change since 2019.
Sawant clarified that the government's proposal is to drop 40 villages out of the 99 initially identified by the committee. He also noted that if necessary, 10 more villages could be added to maintain a total of 69 villages in the eco-sensitive areas. The recent request came after a meeting with the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change's team led by retired IFS officer Sanjay Kumar, which held hearings in Quepem and Sattari talukas to engage with stakeholders.
Sawant emphasized that declaring villages as eco-sensitive areas primarily restricts specific industrial and commercial activities, allowing residents to continue their daily lives and even build houses in these areas. In July 2022, the Union Ministry had issued a draft notification proposing eco-sensitive status for 99 Goan villages spanning 1,461 square kilometers.