NEW DELHI/PANAJI, September 2: The controversial Bhutani “Acqua Eden” project at Sancoale continues to remain stalled after the Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that construction cannot proceed until the larger dispute over the private-forest status of the land is resolved.

Lawyers representing the Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) and residents of Sancoale placed their objections before the apex court, bringing the long-pending private-forest issue back to the centre of the battle over the massive project proposed in Survey No. 257/1.

A major contention raised by GBA concerned the method adopted for calculating the slope of the property. GBA argued that there is no concept of an “average slope” under the applicable law and alleged that the project proponent and government authorities relied on such an averaging method to bring the gradient below the 25 per cent threshold and facilitate development permissions.

According to GBA, such a method could effectively neutralise restrictions meant to protect steep slopes by averaging flatter portions of a property with sharply inclined areas. The organisation alleged that this amounted to an improper and misleading calculation that could permit cutting of steep hills.

GBA warned that the issue goes far beyond the Bhutani project, arguing that acceptance of an “average slope” formula could create a dangerous precedent for hill-cutting and large-scale development across Goa.

The forest dispute itself predates the Bhutani litigation. The Thomas and Araujo Committees had identified several properties across Goa as private forests, while subsequent review of some classifications triggered prolonged litigation. In March 2025, the Supreme Court restrained authorities from issuing further conversion sanads for 855 survey numbers covering about 8.64 sq km identified and demarcated as private forest.

The Bhutani project had earlier survived challenges before the Bombay High Court at Goa, which dismissed two PILs in November 2025. A review petition was subsequently dismissed in April 2026, following which GBA and Sancoale residents approached the Supreme Court.

Wednesday’s proceedings have now again linked the Bhutani controversy with the larger question of protection and final identification of Goa’s private forests.

For now, the position is clear: until the forest issue is settled, Bhutani’s ambitious Acqua Eden project at Sancoale remains grounded.