Team Herald
MARGAO: Goans For Sustainable Development (GSD) will hold a public meeting at Lohia Maidan on April 22 at 3.30 pm to protest the “sale of Goa through a destructive Regional Plan 2021”.
GSD, which has been holding presentations on the issue across Goa, has alleged that the RP21 is driven by vested interests, and has demanded the formulation of an equitable, environment friendly regional plan based on authentic data, which safeguards the ecology and environment and takes into consideration the rights and needs of all sections of society.
“It is quite clear that Goa had crossed its carrying capacity long ago, primarily due to the blind policies of the government. And now, with the RP21, the government seeks to increase the pace of Goa’s destruction even further,” said Fr Eremito Rebello of GSD.
He continued, “GSD, along with thousands of individuals and organizations, had raised questions and doubts regarding the ongoing RP21 process, but the State government continues to remain unresponsive to the people’s legitimate concerns.”
He further said, “The closure of mining, collapse of tourism, real estate market saturation, and gross failure of industrial estates are proof of the failure of present policies. But what we have lost is inexcusable and lamentable. Goa’s primary resources – her forests, agricultural lands, plateaus, ground and surface water bodies, minerals, hills, flood and storm infrastructure, khazans, and sand dunes – have been defiled and polluted, and even irreversibly destroyed in some instances.”
“We cannot be blind to the real threats of water and food scarcity, rising sea levels, frequent storms and failing monsoons due to climate change. Goa must plan for local residents and for future generations, rather than take a path towards destruction, blinded by greed,” added Fr Eremito.
GSD member Ramkrishna Jhalmi said it was clear that the RP21 has been tailored to meet the needs of few builders and speculators at the cost of Goans, traditional communities and occupations, and environmental safeguards that our ancestors had so carefully put in place and that had served us well over the years.
“Despite overwhelming evidence being submitted time and again that the RP21 will surely lead to the destruction of Goa, the government refuses to consider the people’s demand for a regional plan for sustainable development of the many, rather than short-term profit of a few,” added Zarinha Da Cunha
Abhijit Prabhudesai of GSD said, “GSD once again warns the people that the RP is the biggest threat to Goa and Goans, as it releases crores of square meters of land to builders and speculators in our unsuspecting villages. This will only lead to the total environmental, economic and social collapse, and even the extinction of the people, their identity and their culture.”
He added, “When the government gives substance to the people’s doubts by remaining unresponsive to their cries and queries and continues to lead them down a suicidal path, then it is time for the people to raise their voices, stand up and be counted.”
Rony Dias stated, “Already the signs are alarming. Villagers in many parts of Goa are living with water shortages. While South Goa drinks manganese-laden water from the Selaulim dam, the people of North Goa are at the mercy of Maharashtra for their water needs. The drought-like conditions in Maharashtra and indeed in most parts of India, puts Goa in an unnecessarily precarious position, as the government goes about its plan of destroying and defiling our own water bodies and water recharge zones.”
GSD has called upon all “right-thinking Goans” to attend the public meeting on April 22.
