PANJIM: Our Rivers Our Rights, a citizens group has demanded that the government immediately scrap all steps taken to designate Goan rivers as national waterways.
Addressing the media, Advocate Ohm Stanley, Convenor of Our Rivers Our Rights, said the Union government is trying to usurp the rivers from the local communities as national waterways for navigation and shipping.
He said, “This is just a trailer of what is going to happen once we hand over our rivers to the Central government. We will just be helpless to say that this is a Central government and Central act and we cannot do anything about it.”
Stating that those living on the banks of the rivers will lose their rights to even carry out activities, Stanley said, “The Act gives authority to declare anybody a trespasser or any activity as undesirable on the national waterways, which are our rivers. If you are fishing it can be stopped. Political class says that fishing activity will not come to an end, but the Act provides for it to come to an end.”
The citizen’s initiative has demanded that the government engage in public awareness and take feedback on the issue and only then respond as per the demands of the citizens.
Zarina D’Cunha, a member of the organisation, said that the Constitution demands that any acquisition of rights must be preceded by public consultation and hearing the affected persons. “We would like to question, when lakhs of people are living on the banks of these rivers, without consulting them …how has the government consented?” she asked.
