RGP MLA Borkar demands flying squads to curb illegal hill cutting in St Andre

Panaji: St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar on Wednesday met North Goa collector Ankit Yadav and submitted a memorandum demanding strict action against illegal hill cutting, land filling and other environmental violations in his constituency. He urged the deployment of flying squads to step up enforcement on the ground.

Borkar said a spate of recent incidents in St Andre had prompted the intervention. “I gave the collector a memorandum with the list of violations seen in my constituency. Flying squads should be deployed, and monitoring needs to be enhanced,” he said, adding that talathis and mamlatdars must be directed to use their existing powers to identify violations, halt ongoing damage and restore affected sites to their original condition.

Beyond environmental enforcement, Borkar raised the deteriorating condition of Khazan lands in the constituency, where damaged bunds and faulty sluice gates are allowing water ingress and rendering agricultural fields unyieldable. He called on the collector to issue immediate directions to local revenue officials to carry out repairs before the onset of the monsoon.

The MLA also flagged the slow pace of pre-monsoon works across several locations in St Andre, warning that incomplete preparatory work could compound flooding and waterlogging risks once the rains arrive. “A lot of places, we see that the work has not been done. These need to be completed on a priority basis,” he said.