THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
Team Herald
Margao: The Curtorim Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco has written to the Governor and Chief Secretary requesting that they don’t ask for reduction in eco-sensitive zones from 99 villages to 69 villages in Goa.
Reginaldo reminded them of the government’s recent appeal to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekarm for the reduction of eco- sensitive zones by 30 villages.
He said it’s a ‘disastrous’ appeal as it would further dwindle the green cover in remaining village panchayats and municipal areas.
"As the entire country including Goa is fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, Goemkars are aghast to learn that their government has demanded a correction in villages and that Javadekar will be sending a committee to revisit the villages and carry out the correction. To rub salt to the wounds of Goemkars, the government has already sent letters with these demands to the Centre,” said Reginaldo
"I request to please take a leaf from the Supreme Court’s February 18, 2020, observation on preservation of green cover. I repeat, for the sake of our posterity, please give up on irresponsible, environmentally unfriendly development in our Goa," Reginaldo added.
"Like your predecessor, (late) former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, please do not get your legacy marred as the next wanton destroyer of Goa’s ecology including axing of trees, cutting of hills and polluting of water bodies. Due to the pressure from the mining lobby, the real estate lobby, the infrastructure lobby, please do not come with the environmental disastrous decision of reduction of Goa’s eco sensitive zones from 99 villages to 69 villages" he added, while talking about the present CM.
He added that eco-sensitive villages are imperative for safeguarding the ecology, which is allegedly getting destroyed daily by the miners, the real estate developers and the infrastructure developers.
