Panaji, June 25 : RTI activist and environmental campaigner Sudip Narayan Tamankar has submitted a representation to Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, TCP Minister Vishwajit Rane and Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar objecting to the proposed conversion of a lake at Survey No. 43/27, Davorlim, Salcete, into a settlement zone.

In his representation, Tamankar stated that the land is identified as a lake/water body in the cadastral plan, the Goa Water Resources Department’s Water Atlas and the Goa Regional Plan 2021. He claimed that recent site imagery also confirms the continued existence of a natural depression holding seasonal or perennial water along with wetland vegetation.

He argued that converting the water body into a settlement would have serious environmental, hydrological and legal consequences. According to the representation, the lake serves as a natural stormwater retention basin, helping to reduce flooding, recharge groundwater and maintain the area’s natural drainage system.

Tamankar warned that reclaiming or filling the low-lying area could increase flooding in nearby properties, disrupt natural drainage, lead to waterlogging during the monsoon and reduce groundwater recharge. He also stated that the wetland supports biodiversity, providing habitat for birds, amphibians and aquatic species.

The representation further contends that altering the classification of the land would undermine scientific land-use planning, set a precedent for the conversion of natural assets and increase the vulnerability of surrounding settlements to climate-related disasters.

Citing environmental principles and judicial precedents, Tamankar maintained that lakes and wetlands are public ecological assets that should not be arbitrarily reclaimed or converted. He argued that any such proposal could violate the Public Trust Doctrine and established environmental jurisprudence.

In conclusion, he urged the government to preserve, restore and protect the lake in the larger public interest instead of permitting its conversion into a settlement. The representation was submitted on June 25 and has been acknowledged by the offices of the Chief Minister, the Town and Country Planning Department and the Water Resources Department.