DEEP DIVE : No, The HOUSE OF ABHINANDAN LODHA CANNOT CONQUER GOA

75 DAYS AND COUNTING: SALUTE THE KARAPUR REVOLUTIONARIES The battle against no EC for the Lodha project reaches Azad Maidan. From the panchayat office in Karapur-Sarvan to the TCP and Environment offices in Panjim, the women of Karapur have carried a people’s movement with extraordinary courage. For 75 days, they have stood against the House of Abhinandan Lodha’s massive 5 lakh sq m-plus project spread across Survey Nos. 176/1 and 148. Their fight is not just for land, but for their village, their traditional access paths, their water security and their basic community rights. INK Goa was in Karapur on June 4, the 61st day of the protest, when villagers raised serious questions over the boundary wall allegedly built without a construction licence. On June 12, Karapur came to Panjim to demand answers on how a project of this scale could move forward without Environment Clearance. Green activists, local leaders, opposition voices and the people of Karapur converged outside the Director of Environment and Town and Country Planning offices. Activist Abhijit Prabhudesai has argued that the project is illegal and must be stopped. Opposition leader Swapnesh Sherlekar, who has stood with the people from day one, directly questioned the role of officials and the government. The villagers are also opposing the boundary wall that has allegedly blocked traditional access to grazing grounds beyond Survey No. 176/1. At the Karapur-Sarvan Panchayat, INK Goa questioned the authorities on how such construction could come up in front of the panchayat’s eyes. As June 18, Goa Revolution Day, marks the 75th day of the protest, the women of Karapur are preparing to send a powerful message to the government. This is a story of land, law, environment, village rights and the unstoppable courage of Nari Shakti. Watch the full INK Goa ground report.