This is in response to the letter written by Arwin Mesquita in your esteemed daily entitled “Colva Concretisation Plan” dated May 16, 2019, wherein he expresses his dismay at football matches being conducted in a wetland. I wish to bring to his notice and public at large that this is an agricultural field which is lying barren for decades now like many such fields owning to high cost of labour or its owners are dead or are too old to continue the agricultural trade. The said field was never a wetland as the writer seems to suggest apparently drawing his conclusion based on opposition by some activist/NGOs some six years ago over purported move to develop a playground-cum-parking in this field.
The field in contention was acquired by the local panchayat some 7/8 years ago. To contend that it is a wetland is a complete misnomer as it just does not have any features of a wetland. The rain water does pass through this field on its onward journey to empty itself in the sea. The so called wetland is neither wet nor spongy nor it is water logged year round. It is about a meter or two below the road level, hence being little low the water table will be high but it is never water logged throughout the year round like a wetland. Anyone can simply inspect the site to know the truth. Once the monsoon is over, within couple of months the field becomes totally dry. It would have been prudent on part of the activists if they had to object to the Nuvem Bypass Road because it simply meets all standards of wetland but unfortunately hardly any activists had guts to support the villagers of Nuvem during their agitation of bypass construction in a wet land. Apparently they were probably too timid to oppose the late chief minister of Goa who initiated the bypass road at Nuvem.
This field is located in front of Our Lady of Merces Church, Colva which also houses Infant Jesus HS, Infant Jesus HSS and Government Primary School. None of the three schools have a playground. Besides, during the service at the church, large numbers of cars are parked on the either side of busy Colva beach road causing traffic jams and acts as hindrance to the smooth flow of traffic. To ease this problem the panchayat tried to create the amenities in this field but activists opposed the proposed project as also influenced the then parish priest to campaign during the church services against the proposed playground as the result no work could be carried out.
To state that the project would lead to concretisation and cause global warming, flooding and causing immense damage to environment is far from truth. The writer also talks about ground near Williams Resort. Does he expect the students of these three schools to walk 15 minutes to a ground owned by Sports Authority of Goa and then find the gates are locked or permission denied to them?
Let’s be practical, our requirements are a ground-cum-parking facility for the three schools and for parishioners during church services. Let us create the much needed infrastructure for our children for their all round development. Let us not oppose for sake of opposing. Let us make this positive change for current and future generations.
