Goa’s town and country planning (TCP) department has added a net 37 lakh square metres to the non-developable area in Salcete through three Section 39A notifications, while approving the conversion of 59,671 square metres of land for settlement use and withdrawing an earlier non-developable classification at Sancoale.
The four newly approved non-developable parcels are located in Seraulim, Utorda, Calata and Orlim. According to the report, the parcels measure 16.6 lakh square metres in Seraulim, 9.9 lakh square metres in Utorda, 3.9 lakh square metres in Calata and 9.3 lakh square metres in Orlim. Together, they cover about 39.7 lakh square metres.
The net addition is lower because the department has rescinded the non-developable classification for 2,03,300 square metres at Sancoale. The parcel was allotted to Goa Shipyard Ltd for infrastructure supporting shipbuilding and ship-repair activities. The Sancoale decision changes the overall balance between newly designated non-developable land and the land classification that has been withdrawn.
The land newly placed under the non-developable designation includes areas identified as paddy fields, orchards, mangroves, fish farms, water bodies, rivers and irrigation-command areas, according to the report. These land types were already described as protected against development, making the notification significant primarily as a formal change in the regional planning framework rather than an announcement of newly created environmental protection on the ground.
At the same time, the TCP department moved ahead with 21 applications seeking conversion of land to settlement zones. The applications cover orchards, natural cover, cultivable land with irrigation command areas, paddy fields and a playground. The total area approved for conversion is 59,671 square metres.
The department said public suggestions on the proposed conversions were placed before the TCP Board for its recommendation and approval. The board decided to proceed after considering the suggestions received, according to the report. The decision brings a smaller but potentially consequential set of land-use changes alongside the much larger area added to the non-developable classification.
The notifications were issued under Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning Act, which permits the government to alter or modify Goa’s regional plan. However, the TCP department has stated that the alterations and modifications will remain subject to the outcome of a writ petition pending final disposal before the Bombay High Court.
The decisions therefore affect both the formal planning status of land and the legal context in which future development permissions may be considered. In Salcete, the notifications cover locations where agricultural, ecological and water-related land categories are identified in the planning record. At Sancoale, the withdrawal is linked to land allotted for shipbuilding and ship-repair infrastructure.
The TCP department’s next steps are tied to the implementation of the Section 39A notifications and the pending writ petition before the Bombay High Court. The legal outcome will determine the continuing status of the alterations and modifications to the regional plan.
