Sonsoddo burial site gradient spurs worry in Muslim group | Goa News
Margao: As the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) awaits the execution of a deed of exchange with the Confraria of the Chapel of Borda to resolve the encroachment issue at the proposed Sonsoddo kabrastan site, the Muslim community has raised apprehensions.The community has reservations about probable development restrictions due to the steep gradient of the location.The 30,000sqm site was acquired by the MMC in 2021 for the burial ground project. According to a recent letter from MMC chief officer Melvyn Vaz to the deputy collector, the council is seeking a deed of exchange following the discovery that 1,000sqm of the acquired land was encroached upon.The MMC, at the council meeting held recently, gave its nod for signing the deed of exchange.The high court, in its order dated June 24, 2024, directed that an equivalent area be provided as access to the acquired property. Subsequently, the Confraria submitted grants of easement — the legal right that allows one party to use another party’s land for a specific purpose,However, the Muslim community’s representative, Abdulmatin Daud Carol, has expressed serious concerns about the viability of the site for development. “With a gradient as steep as 65-70%, would govt even allow construction on this slope?” Carol said. “It is evident that the land falls under a no-development zone. Govt doesn’t come clear on this, and the proposal is kept hanging.”The land was originally acquired through a 2010 resolution for all three communities but was modified in 2011 to serve exclusively as a burial ground for the Muslim community.
