The objections to the cutting of thousands of trees in the forest areas to make way for the tracks has already been well documented by Herald in its Sunday edition. But there are other objections, and these are not restricted to the environment, but to people’s lives and their homes. A Villagers Action Committee against Doubling of the South Western Railway (SWR) Tracks has been formed that consists of residents of the villages of Velsao, Cansaulim, Issorcim and Pale who have objected to the doubling of the railway tracks through their villages and all through South Goa.
Their objections to the project are many. They begin by pointing out that during the lockdown, the Central government decided to acquire land that belongs to individuals for doubling of the SWR tracks, but the benefits to the people have not been made known as yet. It is true that the existing tracks, laid a century ago, cut through some of South Goa’s heavily populated coastal villages and have divided these, forcing the villagers to take long detours to reach the other side of the tracks. Laying a parallel track will widen this divide. But it not just the coastal villages that will be affected, as the track also passes through Margao, Chandor, Sanvordem and goes on to Dudhsagar before entering Karnataka.
The villages along the route are densely populated, and at stake are a number of houses that exist right along the tracks, some of them centuries old, that even if they survive the land acquisition, will tremble with the vibrations of the trains that pass through, which once there is a double line will increase in frequency and even speed. It is clear from early signs that the villagers of these areas are angry and will not willingly allow the doubling of the line through their neighbourhoods. As one of the villagers said, they want to know from the government whether this ‘mega destruction can be termed as development and if yes, for whose benefit is it?’
That’s a question that the government has to answer and come clear on the reasons for the doubling of the line and the benefits to be accrued from this. There is growing concern that one of the reasons of this is to facilitate the transportation of coal that will be unloaded at the Mormugao Port and then via rail sent to its destination in Karnataka. The pollution due to coal handling, a rock that Goa neither produces nor utilises, is another reason for the objections by the villagers to the double tracking of the SWR line. Coal transportation via rail has led to objections even earlier and not just in coastal Salcete and Mormugao through which the line passes, but further inland too.
The objections to the double tracking are not new. In January this year, during the annual inspection of the SWR track, a member of the inspection team had argued with local MLA Alina Saldanha, where he said that Goans were an invading force that must have destroyed the old house. He had added, “By you I meant Portuguese”. This had caused quite a stir and an apology had been tendered. The atmosphere has already been vitiated, and the opposition to the doubling of the track is likely to grow in the coming weeks. Only the government can stop it.
Listing their reasons for the objections, the villagers have called up the chief minister to stop the project. Will Dr Pramod Sawant heed this request of the people? The least that is required now is for the government to meet with the people and engage in dialogue with the people. Later, it will have to decide whether to back the demands of the people or allow the doubling of the tracks.
