One of India’s most respected veteran architects and planners, Charles Corriea had always maintained that Goa’s rivers should be used for public transportation and used extensively by tourists for hinterland tourism. The nationalisation of Goa’s rivers as a result of the Indian Waterways Act enacted, may lead to our waterways becoming carriers of commercial transport after a massive dredging exercise which will make our rivers devoid of its traditional assets. Even if this is an apprehension, this apprehension has very realistic possibilities.
The rare coming together of opposition forces with the GPCC president Luizinho Faleiro stating emphatically that he is with the Goa Forward in supporting the opposition to the Nationalisation of Goa’s rivers, is bound to be a major election flashpoint.
The core of the issue is the widespread conviction, that the Inland Waterways Act, whereby 106 rivers have been declared national waterways including six Goan rivers, would take away the rights and control of these rivers from the Goa government and place them at the disposal of the Centre. While Goa’s River Navigation minister Sudin Dhavalikar and his mentor, the Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari are both gung ho about starting the dredging exercise of the rivers to basically push for coal and mineral transportation, the opposition parties the Congress and the Goa Forward (AAP has been conspicuous by its silence) and the people are upping the ante against the government for agreeing to this.
The backdrop of the Chief Minister’s promise in the Assembly on August 9, during a Calling Attention Motion raised by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, where the CM said “We are yet to sign the MoU. We will take all the precautions during signing of the agreement. No one needs to be panicky,” is significant. He also said that the river nationalisation was about “maintenance” and not “capital” dredging of the rivers that would be taken up, so there is no fear for bio-diversity and hampering of fish production.
However on September 28, an MoU was signed between the Inland Waterways Authority of India and the MPT (with the Government of Goa not a part of it), where MPT will “assist IWAI in the development of National Waterways like Mandovi river (NW-68), Zuari river (NW-111), Chapora river (NW-25), Cumbharjua canal (NW-27), Mapusa river (NW-71), and Sal river (NW-88) in Goa”.
Goa’s pristine waterways are now tagged and numbered, but will be really out of our reach, if the intention is “development” and not “maintenance” as the Chief Minister said. And if the Press release of the Ministry of Shipping dated September 28 is followed in letter and spirit, this is no “maintenance”. This will indeed be capital dredging and contrary to the Chief Minister’s assertions in the Assembly.
The release stated “The MoU between MPT and IWAI will jointly work to achieve fairway development of the 182-Km stretch in Goa which includes dredging, river training works, bank protection, navigation aids, Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) etc. MPT will also provide project management supervision services related to the infrastructure works in the NWs (rivers).
It is also learnt that a senior bureaucrat in Goa, well versed with river management had indeed raised some valid points on the imminent effects of capital dredging on our rivers, in the presence of the Minister of Shipping Nitin Gadkari. The Union Minister, it is learnt, did not take too kindly to such opposition.
While this exercise is undergoing a churn through debates and protests, the Government’s assurance that all stakeholders will be consulted before it actually agrees to signing off its waterways, remains unfulfilled. The agreement (not to be confused with the earlier agreement mentioned in this edit) between the IWAI, the MPT and the Government of Goa (through the Captain of Ports) will govern the relationship of the state and its rivers and the full contours of that agreement are not in the public domain. But the apprehension over the possible impact of dredging on the shell fish which breeds in the rivers and other marine life is palpable. The danger to the river banks and the bundhs has been expressed. These need to be discussed, debated and stakeholders convinced.
If this goes down as a mere exercise to clear the water channels for much cheaper transportation for vessels laden with coal and other material bound for steel plants in South India, the people of Goa will not let this project flow.
