Team Herald
MARGAO: Aam Aadmi Party (AP) on Saturday resolved to launch what it called ‘Operation Digaband’ that will raise awareness among Goans towards the mass destruction of biodiversity in the State including wetlands, rivers, hills, and agricultural and orchard lands.
Speaking on the occasion of “World Wetlands day” at the banks of the highly polluted age old water body called ‘Digaband’, AAP convenor Elvis Gomes addressing the gathering said that the government has become ‘lifeless’ and hence unable to prevent of pollution of water bodies like the one at Digaband which, he said, was contaminated to such an extent that it posed a threat to the lives of the people around.
He said that an alert government would have been responsive to the complaint under Section 133 of CrPC filed with the District Magistrate, which was not the case in Goa.
Stating that the protest was symbolic to bring into focus that across Goa, age old water bodies like Fondare’, shallow wells , ponds and rivulets were bearing the brunt of greed and insensitivity of those in charge and called upon Goans to launch ‘Operation Digaband’ in their respective villages and towns to save to save wetlands.
“I can give in writing that days of Goans are numbered. The destruction of water bodies is an invitation to doomsday if remedial measures are not taken. We need to be sensitive to the needs of our posterity. AAP’s Delhi Government has taken wonderful initiatives in this regard,” Gomes said wondering why the local MLA who stays in close vicinity had failed to act in the matter of saving Digaband.
Gomes highlighted how farmers in Verna were struggling for past so many years for government assistance to restore their ponds and shallow wells and also condemned the revised Taleigao ODP that had proposed roads cutting through agricultural fields and vowed to be part of the struggle to save biodiversity of Goa.
AAP leader Sidharth Karapurkar explained the importance of wetlands in the ecosystem.
Velim constituency coordinator Gavi Coutinho stated that an analysis of the water sample of Digaband showed very high level of pollution with heavy concentration of E Coli bacteria and heavy metals such as lead.
Ricardo Fernandes, a local, reminisced about the days when Digaband was nature’s pristine gift to Chinchinim and lamented about the deteriorating situation now.
AAP Soth Goa convenor Rodney Almeida was also present. Meanwhile, earlier in the morning, an AAP delegation met state biodiversity board MD Pradeep Sarmakodam and highlighted the state of Digaband and demanded action and also highlighted that the Chinchinim panchayat had not maintained any biodiversity register.
