Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Friday stated that the government will notify all the lakes and declare them as No Development Zones by amending the Goa Irrigation Act.
The assurance was made in the Goa Legislative Assembly in response to the Private Members’ Resolutions moved by Navelim MLA Luizinho Faleiro demanding that the government identify all lakes and conserve them.
Faleiro moved a resolution demanding that the government declare Saipem Lake, Telaulim Lake, Coldem Lake and Boshi Lake in Navelim constituency as bio-heritage sites and no development zones. In another resolution, he demanded that the government identify all lakes and inland rivers to protect and conserve them and ban any constructions on the banks of the rivers, which pollute them. Both resolutions were withdrawn upon the Chief Minister’s statement. 
Responding to the demands, Sawant said, “In one month we will notify all the lakes in the State as No Development Zone and also amend the Goa Irrigation Act. All the rivers have been notified in 1982.”
 
Responding to the demand to utilise mining pits, which have turned into lakes, he said, “Centre’s permission to use the mining pits as water reservoirs will be taken as the provision for the mines is for the closure of the mines after mining activity.”
 
Water Resources Minister Felipe Neri Rodrigues said, “Lakes are a treasure of the State and there was a time when we were all for visual development but atleast now our public representatives are sensitive towards them.”
 
He further said that all the lakes and water resources will be identified by the department and rejuvenated. “We will also amend the Goa Irrigation Act and undertake the mapping of water resources in the State. We will write to TCP and the panchayats to not to permit any development near water bodies,” he added.
 
Earlier speaking on the resolution, Faleiro stated that after the Liberation governments undertook a lot of development works, however, the people of Navelim had to suffer. He said, “The natural treasures handed over to us need to be protected for the future. Saipem Lake is polluted with sewage from Margao. Former chief minister Manohar Parrikar had promised to treat water from the lake and replenish it.”