Honorable Chief Justice of India,
The youth of Goa are gravely concerned about our future. Goa is lucky to be a part of a 150 million year old ecosystem – the Western Ghats – one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. Our ancestors, recognising their economic, ecological and scientific value, had adopted a way of life that safeguarded and respected these unique forests. Besides being the originators of a large part of Goa’s freshwater supply, these forested areas are an invaluable carbon sink and a source of livelihood for thousands of people. It is not surprising, therefore, that the importance of the Western Ghats is deeply embedded in our Goan culture – her religious traditions, myths, folklore, rituals and language.
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Our Constitution has enabled us to continue protecting our natural heritage, and further, 240 square kilometres have been accorded special protected status under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. The Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park and the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary together form the largest protected area of our beautiful state.
Although just under 7% of Goa’s total area, these protected areas are home to 2389 known species of flora and fauna, several of which are endemic to the Western Ghats. This is still a gross underestimation of their actual biodiversity. Based on a simple extrapolation exercise, it is likely that over 13,000 yet-to-discovered species call these forests their home!
We, Goa’s youth, are worried by the threats that three destructive linear infrastructure projects pose to the future of our forests and by extension, of our State. The projects’ managers have applied to cut 38,724 trees, which will lead to severe fragmentation in the National Park and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary – including near the iconic Dudhsagar waterfalls that we have learnt about in our textbooks and got to see as school-going children. Being part of an ancient biodiversity hotspot, these trees and ecosystem services are irreplaceable to us.
Everyone alive today is by now aware of the serious existential threats that climate change and species extinctions pose to our survival – but as young people, who will inherit the consequences of short-sighted, unsustainable and destructive projects of the previous generations, we are most affected. Forests like the Western Ghats are important carbon sinks and regulators of healthy ecosystems that provide clean air, water and soil, that in turn creates healthy environments for humans to thrive in. Rapidly disappearing wild habitats are also the leading cause of zoonotic diseases. We have collectively already suffered the effects of Covid-19 enough to know how a single virus can wreak havoc on human lives.
But we would be dishonest if we cited only these statistics to demonstrate why these forests are worth saving. Mollem National Park and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary hold a special place in the hearts of Goans. Most of us have looked forward to visiting them since our childhood. The clear streams, the tall sheltering trees, the melodious birdsong that has kept us company as we trekked through sacred landscapes to get to our picnic spot for the day. Our forests are the homes of our gods and a source of abundant joy and wonder to those who are lucky to know them.
Since last year, the youth of Goa have been writing letters and signing petitions to elected representatives, asking them to save Mollem from these destructive projects. Despite the restrictions of the pandemic, we have been spreading awareness about our rights and the importance of the protected areas, exercising our rights through the relevant channels, and asking for a vision of development for Goa that is rooted in cultural, scientific and Constitutional values. We want to live in a Goa that future generations can thrive in, based on the principle of Intergenerational Equity, which states that natural resources are a shared inheritance. Future generations have a right to inherit at least as much of this inheritance as the present generation has.
We have come as far as we can and will continue to do whatever is possible to protect our heritage, but today we need the support of those who understand the immeasurable and irreplaceable value of our precious wild ecosystems. We hope you will recognise the urgency driving our letter, and do what you can to make sure that Goa’s identity and future remain secure at this very critical juncture.
Respectfully,
The young people of Goa
