Chapora is the govt’s next target for environmental destruction

While locals in Chapora have been alarmed at this massive jetty like structure for long, the report by a senior scientist and member of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority Antonio Mascarenhas, that the WRD has violated CRZ norms while carrying out the so called repair of the bunds, exposes the intention of this government department.

Chapora has been the radar of the informal ‘enter, seize and usurp’ department of the government, which has announced a mammoth Chapora tourism project. While there is no evidence to link the jetty to this Rs 1000 crore project, there is no evidence contrary to it either. At this point of time no one knows. Apart from this project, it is a fact that alternate spots are being searched to dock casinos.

The Rs 1000 crore tourism explosion in Chapora will  include ferry terminals, a tourist village, museum, marinas, a fisherman's wharf, hotels, an under-water aquarium, sea world, a bird park, an adventure sports island, a tree top hotel, hotel complex, an exhibition centre, tented accommodation and cable cars.

The project will involve so called “development” of seven locations along the river front which will start from the mouth of Chapora and end at Colvale bridge, covering a distance of around 13.1 km

 The report of Dr Mascarenhas is significant because it was conducted under the directions of the National Green Tribunal. After conducting the site inspection as a part of his overall exercise, Dr Mascarenhas concluded that though and approvals were sought from the GCZMA for repairs of the bund “A jetty like concrete structure” resting on thick columns was being constructed”. But there are more damaging observations including the fact that work commenced without even a preliminary scientific study “about the repercussions of such a  massive interference along the bank and within the realm of the Chapora river”. Even without getting into the details of the riverine and other environment damage which has been envisaged in the report, it is clear that the government has sponsored the creation of a completely illegal base for further construction expansion including possibly a jetty which has not been planned or cleared officially.

 The Goa government must respond to this report and clarify some of the observations which are nothing but strong indictments of the governments act of destroying the fragile eco- system of the Chapora river. This has become a pattern of this government’s backing of major eco tourism and other projects like in Tiracol, where the environment and the Forest department through various acts which Herald has documented,  has cleared the path for Leading  Hotels to go ahead with the project. The government has played the part of removing project encumbrances illegally for private players at the cost of harming the state.

The pattern obviously continues in Chapora. After giving private players vast areas of land as playing fields for their projects, the government is going on an over drive to augment infra structure and roads by cutting corners and bypassing CRZ and environment norms, in addition to the dubious manner in lands are being bought.

 Thus the violations are not limited to those of CRZ. The entire eco-system of Goa is changing from natural to brutally artificial destroying the essence of Goa’s environment. And far from addressing this, this government has actually made the environment and environmentalists its target.