Goa Non-Developable Land Order: What It Means for Buyers and Plot Owners in Goa

What happened?

The Times of India reported that Goa's town and country planning department approved a notification placing nearly 13 lakh sqm of eco-sensitive land into the non-developable category. The order, issued on Thursday under the state's 1974 planning law, covers more than 40 proposals across about 129.6 hectares in seven talukas: Ponda, Bardez, Tiswadi, Bicholim, Salcete, Mormugao and Canacona.

According to the paper, the affected land is recorded in existing plans under categories such as mangroves, paddy, khazan land, water bodies and orchards. Officials described the step as part of a continuing effort to amend the regional plan and the related outline development plans.

In a separate decision, the department cleared settlement-zone changes of 20,588 sqm through eight applications meant for construction. The newspaper noted that the non-developable area is nearly 63 times larger. Examples it listed include 10,100 sqm at Assagao for Ryago Homes Pvt Ltd, which still needs no-objection certificates from the forest and water resources departments before secondary development, and 4,472 sqm at Davorlim. In Morjim, it said 1,695 sqm and a 1,124 sqm parcel were approved, the latter subject to a clearance from the state disaster management authority.

Which sectors are affected?

• Goa plotted land and land parcels
• Ponda, Bardez, Tiswadi, Bicholim, Salcete, Mormugao and Canacona talukas
• Assagao, Davorlim and Morjim villages
• Eco-sensitive land: mangroves, paddy, khazan, water bodies, orchards

Potential impact

Land that is now barred from development is unlikely to command prices linked to buildable plots. Owners of such parcels may find buyers scarce or may face steep discounts, since a buyer cannot count on getting permission to build. Land that was newly cleared for settlement could see more interest, though several approvals still depend on further clearances, so the final outcome is not certain.

For the wider market, the sharp gap between restricted and cleared area points to a tight supply of legally buildable land. That could support values of plots that already carry a clean settlement status, but this is a possibility and not a guarantee. Our city-level figures for Goa, an average of 14,500 per sqft and a rental yield of 4.5 percent, are averages and do not apply to land that cannot be built on.