MARGAO: The Assolna Biodiversity Management Committee on Monday demanded that the Captain of Ports Department carry out a mitigation study or environmental impact assessment on dredging of River Sal and also consult the stakeholders as their livelihood is at stake.
During a meeting held earlier this week, the biodiversity committee resolved and demanded from the Captain of Ports to furnish the documents for the work of desiltation/dredging of the river. The biodiversity committee sought within seven working days from the date of receipt of the resolution all the Environment Impact Assessment reports related to River Sal desiltation/dredging, all the applications received by CoP Department calling for three metres deep desiltation/dredging of the river.
The Assolna BMC also asked for a year-wise time series analysis of River Sal from 1961 to 2020 that indicates that the depth of the river has reduced by three metres uniformly and sought the consent letter from CoP Department to Government of India permitting River Sal to be declared as National Waterway along with the names and addresses of River Sal fishing communities consulted and consented to permit the river being declared as National Waterway.
The BMC would share the content of the above documents with the fishing communities in River Sal and if the CoP doesn’t cooperate, the committee has threatened to put permanent objections for the desiltation/dredging of the river. The Assolna BMC has already demanded to stop the work of desiltation/dredging of the river.
