NAUXI- BAMBOLIM : Nauxi, a village consisting of around 50 houses along the Arabian seashore, has suddenly found itself in the news. A private firm proposed to set up a marina here, and the government has cleared the project. The locals are angry as they stand to lose their fishing business.
“Many people here are fishermen. There are very few who are in the government or private service. Fishing remains the prime profession,” said a 40-year-old man, who refused to get quoted as he is a government servant.
“Marina? No way! What do they want to do? They will release sewerage in the ocean. They will poison the ocean. Now they might promise anything, but we know well that marinas will spell doom for our livelihood. It will shatter our peace,” said the man’s wife, also refusing to reveal her name. “Why do you want my name. What I say is the feeling of all the villagers,” she said, before vanishing in the village’s small lanes.
The villagers have a unique system which is synonymous with fishing hamlets. The men go for fishing at 4.30-5.00 am and return with the catch at 7 am. The women then sell the catch at Santa Cruz market.
“We earn around Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 a day. But, that’s only when we get a good catch. Several times we return empty-handed and the day is wasted,” said Narayan Rosario. Rosario’s family owns canoes fitted with outboard motors, and the younger generation assist with the work.
“The catch entirely depends on the climate. The bay near Nauxi is fertile ground for fish breeding. You get the best catch there,” said Anil Kunkolkar, Narayan’s son. The father-son duo, were busy folding their net when this reporter arrived. They both expressed how peaceful the village was.
Anil also said that the marinas would not only affect fishermen from Nauxi, but also from the neighbouring areas of Cacra, Odxel, Bambolim, among others.
The villagers say that the tall promises of employment in the projects shatter when the companies start their venture. Anil’s father, Narayan recalls how the villagers were promised jobs in Goa Medical College, Dental College, Goa University and even in the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour. He said, “Jobs never came. Even when Grand Hyatt was constructed, villagers were promised employment. That too never happened.”
As the villagers continue to eke out a living through fishing, they are not sure that the government, or any politician, would help stop the marinas from coming up.
“Francis Silveira did nothing for us, and now Vishnu Wagh is making false promises. We are afraid that huge marina will come up here,” said a villager who was getting ready for a public meeting at Siridao on Sunday.
When contacted, local MLA Vishnu Wagh, extended his support to the villagers and said “We will never allow marinas to come to our beautiful village. These villages depend on fishing for their livelihood. However, I am confident that government will respect the sentiments of people. Without environment clearance, marinas cannot come in.”
