Protection of environment has become an essential ingredient to man’s very own existence. Perhaps, the importance of environment was not much known in the past. But so wasn’t man’s greed. While human greed has considerably interfered with the environment, Nature or Mother Earth has come out in full vengeance on crimes committed by man against it. And, man’s power, often displayed in abundance, particularly in this country and in the present regime, is no match to nature’s.

Though higher Courts have often ruled against development at the cost of environment, some Courts still seem to be keen in obliging those in authority, for obvious reasons, and to allow destruction of environment, even when so-called development is unnecessary. 

The National Green Tribunal, under new Chief, AK Goel ‑ especially selected after his retirement from the Supreme Court, by this Government bent upon “promoting growth and not environment”, faithful to its Party Manifesto and assertions by its leaders, ‑ passed recently an Order approving, not unexpectedly, the Government’s Environment Clearance for Mopa Airport Project challenged in Appeals filed by popular Goan environmentalists, Rainbow Warriors and one resident of Mopa. The appellants had expressed their concern about displacement of residents, damage to environment, loss of ground water, flora and fountain, scarcity of land for housing, food and buffer zones.

They had also complained about 1) Hydro-geology of the area not being properly projected, 2) Absence of visits to the site for proper verification in loco of data, thus resulting in incorrect statistics 3) Willful omission of endangered species, rescued animals, though incorporated in Forest Dept. Rescue Register, 4) Concealment of dense forests, including private forests, shown in Regional Plan maps, of agriculture, of water springs, of fields and historical caves 5) Failure to study the social impact, 6) Absence of study on 40% of area, which falls in Maharashtra and includes a Tiger corridor, thus ignoring impact of tigers and elephants in the area. The appellants also felt that acquisition of land, prior to conducting the EIA, was highly improper as this anticipates a favourable EIA.

In his affidavit, the Director of Civil Aviation opines that only affected people have a right to appeal and that opposition to Mopa airport comes from South Goa, where an airport already exists. He conveniently ignores that Dabolim is equidistant from remote areas of North and South Goa. He lies when he says that capacity of Dabolim is only 4 to 5 million, when by AAI’s own admission it has handled 7.5 million last year. He confesses that “Indian Navy has sought vacation of land”. This unexpected submission only confirms our worst fears that Navy will find a justifiable excuse to enforce this demand once Mopa comes. And with this Government’s collusion with GMR, the latter will surely demand closure of Dabolim, which the Government will gladly accede to.

Further neither the Centre nor the State Govt can ever be trusted on their promises and no one dares displease the Navy, including the Goan ex-Defence Minister, who, as we have seen too often, will crawl when merely asked to bend. Contrary to claims in the affidavit that no further expansion of Dabolim is possible, Airport Director Negi has stated that AAI will spend Rs 400 crores on airport expansion to handle more passengers. 

Though the minutes of the EIA public hearing were challenged as incorrect by RW, the NGT seems to have accepted it as gospel truth the minutes of EAC, which state that issues raised therein were mostly about job opportunities. This is a pure lie, as I too was present at the hearing. The locals, in fact, spoke mostly of loss of livelihood, agriculture, grazing of cattle, destruction of perennial springs, etc. But these submissions/objections were ignored. 

The NGT order appears to have been issued in haste as it has ignored vital issues like existence of forests, damage to environment, incomplete and incorrect data, impact on people, animals and water resources. It also failed to address the issue of felling of trees, stayed by High Court and referred back to NGT to decide on the Govt. application whether tree felling can be permitted without application of Preservation of Trees Act. Meanwhile, the dadagiri of this Govt was evident as it has started felling of trees without any sanctity of law.

Incidentally, the NGT, under same Justice Goel, barred further reduction in eco-sensitive area (ESA) of Western Ghats in view of devastating floods in Kerala, which experts blamed on the ecological damage done to the Ghats. It has asked the Environment Ministry not to reduce ESA of WG further from proposed 56825 kms and notify it within 6 months. It further directed that activities adversely affecting ESZs of WGs be prohibited. This implies that Mopa airport project must also be stopped since ESZ of WG in Dodamarg-Sawantwadi, which is just 1.5 kms from Mopa airport, will surely be destroyed unless airport project is stopped.

(The author is a retired banker)