It is quite well-known that politicians and those seeking to conserve and protect the environment populate two completely different regions on this planet. On the plank of development and public necessity politicians have ridden roughshod over the environment time and again. Thus the position of our political masters in Goa on this issue is none too different.
This was exemplified in the last Assembly session when the chief minister himself said in a ridiculing manner that even for the 3rd Mandovi bridge someone went to the NGT! This was before the Goa Foundation filed their plea with the NGT. The seemingly obvious reference by the CM was that the 3rd bridge was God’s own cow and therefore beyond question. This had been stated in no uncertain terms in a personal audience with him in Feb 2015 saying reviewing the 3rd bridge is impossible. Why? Because in his opinion and the ex-CM Manohar Parrikar’s this bridge represents the zenith of development and why on earth should a person go with their objections to the NGT.
There is a serious question here and that is of intellectual ability both in terms of deciding what developments are required and also assessing their necessity of our political leaders. This aspect is brought to the fore obviously when you build a third bridge where two bridges already exist and which existing bridges are certified to be strong enough for another 10 years. Albeit this assessment was done after the start of the construction of the 3rd bridge.
One needs to ask what stopped our PWD from conducting this assessment earlier? Was it because their report that the existing bridges were strong enough would throw a spanner in the works of the 3rd Mandovi project? Would this report have pushed the new bridge over the Zuari, a much needed project, into faster implementation mode? It is not only seasoned politicians but also first-time legislators like the new MLA from Panjim who is learning the ropes quickly and already blaming environment activists for the woes of the capital city.
In his comment that the solid waste treatment plant planned behind Heera Petrol Pump in Panjim would not have impacted the mangroves in the area, he is showing a complete lack of knowledge of ground realities of the environment. His grouse has been that the NGT shot this project down on the basis of a plea from local activists. In another comment the new MLA went further and said that local activists should not rush to the NGT with their plaints and should come instead with their grievances to the government departments and corporations taking up the projects. In fact on the 3rd bridge issue theGSIDC of which he is Vice-Chairman, letters sent to the Managing Director and Chairman suggesting that an Environment Impact Assessment study be done, inspite of 3 reminders did not elicit any reply. Email reminders to the official GSIDC id went for knowing the size of the 3rd bridge in terms of construction activity. For the latter there could be a reason that as late as April 2015 a decision had not been taken on where the 3rd bridge would land on the Panjim side. One hopes that this has been decided now otherwise commuters wanting to go to Panjim by the 3rd bridge would drop off the top of the bridge on the Panjim side like the rats in the fairy tale of the Pied Piper.
