Meeting highlights dangers upcoming hotel will cause to Assonora reservoir
Assonora Ekvott and Goencho Avaaz say the project site is green zone, but is shown as settlement area in RP21
MAPUSA: Assonora Ekvott, in association with Goencho Avaaz, held an awareness meeting on dangers an upcoming hotel project will cause the Assonora water treatment plant in the village.
The association claimed that the Assonora Water Treatment Plant, which supplies drinking water to entire Bardez taluka and Bicholim including Thivim, Siolim, Aldona, Mapusa, Calangute, Aldona and Saligao and other constituencies, is in danger if the project goes ahead.
The association highlighted that Club Mahindra, a company constructing a huge holiday home project very close to the water treatment plant, will release sewage and waste water which will contaminate the drinking water.
The Assonora Ekvott said they tried to inform the concerned owner and the panchayat body about the project endangering the water sources in the village but the company also failed to explain to the villagers how the project will not affect the Assonora plant.
The panchayat and health department have issued NOC to this project which is completely in violation of all the rules. Also in the TCP plan, the whole river is shown as nallah, the association informed the villagers.
Captain Viriato Fernandes, one of the convenors of Goencho Avaaz, said: “A healthy person needs fresh water, air and food for his living but at present all these elements are being attacked and all these things are directly connected to the regional plan wherein everything is sold out by showing it as settlement area in RP21. This hotel project is 80 per cent completed but we are still ready to fight. The plateau is shown as settlement zone (Green zone are shown as settlement zone). The RP 21 is a real estate speculation for non Goans.”
This hotel project reportedly falls into survey Nos 16 and 7 and the project consist of 200 rooms. TCP has granted permission and both the survey plans are shown as settlement in regional plan 2021 but the same survey plans were not in settlement zone in RP 2001.
Swapnesh Shelkar of Goencho Avaaz said: “The project has a net floor of 19,736 sqmt and 105 cubic meter per day. But the waste water will be around 225 cm per day. From where the company will get the water and what the company will do with waste water is questionable.”
The panchayat reportedly has issued licence to this project based on expired sanads revalidation certificate. The TCP made a false report stating that the approach road to the site is 8 metres wide. However, the existing road is only 4 metres but still 80 per cent of project work is completed.
Association member Siddesh Pednekar further claimed that Tillari water will not be enough and the Par river is the only source left but still the government is sacrificing water sources for private projects which is a big question. The Electricity Department is supplying 33 KV cable through the Tillari pipeline but other side locals are facing power fluctuation.
- By Team Herald | 04 Jun, 2018, 05:59AM
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