In Goa, developers are grabbing eco-sensitive hilly land – ‘legally’

KGL Realtors bought 20,000 square metres on a forested hill in Salvador Do Mundo. Goa’s Regional Plan 2021 classified the land as Natural Cover, with 4,000 square metres marked Natural Cover with No Development Slopes. These designations restrict development because steep slopes can become unstable when cut or built upon.

On June 10, 2026, Goa’s Town and Country Planning board recommended changing the plot’s zoning to settlement. The recommendation included the No Development Slope area. The board said the land was within a permissible gradient, relying on a contour plan from a private engineer that recorded an 18.49% slope. ISRO’s satellite model, however, showed parts exceeding 25%.

The conversion was not yet final when residents objected in July 2026. If approved, it would allow construction on land previously protected from development. The dispute also raises questions about independent slope verification and whether plot-by-plot zone changes are weakening Goa’s safeguards for hills, wetlands, and paddy landscapes.

A regional plan is a spatial planning framework that divides land into zones and sets rules for what activities are allowed. It can distinguish settlement areas from natural or environmentally sensitive areas. These decisions matter because zoning determines whether construction, hill cutting, or other development can legally proceed.

Goa’s Regional Plan 2021 was created under the Town and Country Planning Act and covers the entire state. It classified nearly 82% of Goa as eco-sensitive zones. KGL’s land was marked Natural Cover, while 4,000 square metres also carried the special No Development Slopes designation. That designation applies to steep areas where development is prohibited.

Goa has since added plot-by-plot zone changes through amendments to the Act. Section 39A, introduced in 2024, lets landowners apply to change their plots’ zones. The KGL case shows how a protected designation can be reconsidered, and why the process affects long-term control over hills, wetlands, and paddy fields.

The scale is significant because the Regional Plan 2021 gave eco-sensitive protection to nearly 82% of Goa. This broad coverage was intended to limit rampant construction and development across the state. It also made Goa unusual among states whose planning laws often focus mainly on urban areas.

Section 39A allows landowners to apply for plot-by-plot zone changes. In the last two years, 901 applications received provisional approvals. An analysis of official gazettes by citizens’ groups found that 26% involved plots with slopes steeper than 25%. Those slopes are described in the processing rules as eco-sensitive and ineligible for conversion.

That means roughly one in four provisionally approved applications involved land that the rules say cannot be considered for conversion. The figure does not mean every application was finally approved. It does show the scale of the dispute over whether Goa’s slope protections are being applied consistently and independently.

Changing the zoning would replace a protective land-use designation with one that allows construction. KGL’s plot lies on a forested hill above wetlands, creeks, and low-lying paddy fields near where the Mapusa meets the Mandovi. The zoning decision therefore concerns more than one isolated parcel. It affects how development is managed within a connected landscape.

The proposed change includes about 4,000 square metres marked No Development Slopes. Goa’s rules prohibit construction on slopes above 25% because hill cutting and development can contribute to slope failure. Removing that restriction could make construction or related earthworks possible on land currently treated as eco-sensitive. Residents also questioned whether the slope data supporting the change was reliable.

The article does not establish that damage has already occurred. It shows a potential increase in development pressure around the hill, wetlands, and paddy fields if the conversion becomes final. Residents’ objections and the request for independent verification could influence how the application is assessed and whether the protection remains.

A slope steeper than 25% is treated as eco-sensitive under Goa’s processing rules. Construction is not permitted there, and the area cannot be considered for conversion. The purpose is to keep steep slopes stable rather than expose them to earthworks and development that may trigger slope failure.

Goa introduced Section 17A in 1997 to prohibit cutting of hills. The article links that measure to reducing the state’s vulnerability to landslides. A landslide can be triggered by natural causes such as excess rainfall, flooding, or earthquakes. Human causes include deforestation, hill cutting, and excessive development.

The protection is especially important because India is among the four countries with the highest landslide risk, and 12.6% of its land is prone to landslides. Goa explicitly maps slopes where development is prohibited. Activists say this clear demarcation helps resist illegal hill cutting, but weak verification could dilute the rule.

Slope data is legally important because Goa’s rules draw a clear line at a 25% gradient. Land above that threshold is eco-sensitive and cannot be considered for conversion. A survey showing a lower gradient can therefore support a zone-change application, while evidence of a steeper gradient can block it.

KGL’s application relied on a contour plan prepared by a private engineer hired by the applicant. It showed the plot’s slope as 18.49%, which led the board to describe the area as within permissible gradient. Residents challenged that finding. Data from ISRO’s satellite model showed that parts of the land exceeded 25%.

The conflicting measurements could determine whether the No Development Slope designation remains legally binding. The article says the government is relying on private surveyors and engineers, while activists seek independent verification. The Chief Town Planner was asked how such discrepancies are assessed, but no response had been received when the article was written.

A landslide is the failure of a slope, in which earth or rock moves downhill. The article identifies several natural triggers, including excess rainfall, flooding, and earthquakes. These events can add water, pressure, or movement to already vulnerable terrain.

Human activity can also make slopes less stable. Deforestation removes vegetation from hills, while hill cutting changes their shape. Excessive construction adds development and can disturb the ground. The article therefore treats landslides as risks created by both natural forces and changes people make to slopes.

This is why Goa prohibits construction on slopes above 25% and introduced Section 17A in 1997 to prohibit hill cutting. India has nearly 12.6% landslide-prone land and ranks among the four countries with the highest landslide risk. Protecting steep slopes can reduce exposure, but activists warn that weak or conflicting surveys may undermine those safeguards.