Goa’s controversial Section 39A of the Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Act, 2024, has triggered protests from residents. They claim that the law is opening large tracts of land that hold paddy fields, orchards, and forests to concretisation. This will impact the environment and local communities, resulting in water and electricity shortages and sewage treatment problems. Snehal Mutha examines how it will affect Goa’s ecosystems and its people