PANJIM: Goa Against Coal (GAC) and Our Rivers Our Rights (OROR) on Friday claimed that expansion of roads and railways are only for the expanded coal handling facility, and promised to continue and escalate their efforts until the ‘attempt by a few corporations to destroy our rivers, lands and environment for transient profits’ is defeated.
Both groups demanded the removal of Goa’s rivers from the schedule of National Waterways Act and stop coal handling completely while alleging that there is nexus between coal and river nationalisation. The groups also slammed Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for misguiding and threatening Goans on issues of coal and nationalisation of rivers.
Addressing the media, Abhijit Prabhudesai said, “We don’t buy the argument of the CM that he has objected to coal handling because his actions are totally contradictory. We have no funding from outside the State. However, the government is speaking on behalf of corporates. There is a nexus between coal and river nationalisation.”
He added, “The Centre is now owner of six Goan rivers and surrounding khajan lands by the Act of 2016. That is why we want the rivers removed from the schedule. The government’s Sagarmala report itself says that coal in Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) is for use of steel industry. It has no connection with power generation. The CM is trying to misguide Goans.”
He further said that 60 to 70 million tonnes per annum of coal will be transported from Goa. Currently 12 million tonnes go by seven trains from Goa.
“The Chief Minister has tried to fool Goans into believing that he is not going to allow coal handling to be expanded in Goa. The government is expediting NH-17B and NH-4A constructions, double tracking of the South Western railways in mangroves of Divar, Bandora, Durbhat, dredging of Vasco Bay and river, construction of concrete river bunds and other coal infrastructure,” they said.
Both groups also said that due to the inclusion of the rivers in the schedule to the National Waterways Act, 2016, Goa’s six rivers are now under the control of the Inland Waterways Authority of India, whose sole task is to promote shipping through these rivers.
“They are empowered to also take over our bunds, paddy fields, khazans and even forcibly construct roads and railways through our villages in order to enable storage, handling and transportation of bulk cargoes. Dredging of our rivers, concretisation of the bunds and construction of jetties and storage yards will be carried out by IWAI, that will have unlimited powers to stop locals from coming close to the rivers, bunds and khazans and paddy fields,” the activists said.
GAC along with OROR reiterated their demand to stop coal handling in Goa completely and to remove Goan rivers from the schedule to the National Waterways Act, 2016.
