It is an open secret that every project in Goa is seen as an opportunity by the political class and their allies in real estate “development”. The interests in agricultural and Comunidade lands of lakhs of square meters and the insistence of local MLAs to only have the IIT in their backyard, indicate hyper-local political interests are dictating the short list of choices for the most prestigious of national tech institutions.
Opposition to environmental protection by politicians is alarming
But there is a bigger alarm that needs to be raised. Flowing from the narrative of trying their best not to let projects like the IIT (where 10 lakh square meters is supposedly needed) is the open opposition to environmental protection displayed by those who are a part of the system and elected by the people too. And one of the cardinal duties of those who are people’s representatives is to protect the essence of the state they represent.
The need to get votes cannot be an excuse for ministers not knowing basic facts on key issues
We have a situation which is unbelievable. There is a direct campaign against environmental, coastal and forest protection. Minister and Sanguem MLA Subhash Phal Desai has been particularly vocal with statements like “no one should teach us about the environment”. He then did what can only be called “misleading” and “irresponsible” when he told people that if their area was demarcated in an eco-sensitive zone people would not be able to enter their homes. This was followed by saying that when the central committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests would come on October 16, it “would be the last opportunity” for the people “to protect their village from being declared an eco-sensitive zone”.
Politicians should not use people’s shoulders to destroy the environment for their own needs
Opening up lakhs of square meters of land for IITs and other projects, keeping forests vulnerable and not respecting the recommendations on Eco-Sensitive Areas and Zones is not a democratic practice. Nor is it a sign of good leadership when people are being misled into protesting efforts to protect their habitats and environment. This protection will only help the future of their own children. Present destructions of hills lakes, lands and forests will convert Goa into a desert with no rivers and forests.
Do we want this future for our children?
Ministers have a duty to the constitution and the dignity of their oath not to mislead people to this extent.
Minister Subhash Phal Desai was wrong on so many counts. The committee was not here to declare Eco Sensitive Zones. Eco-sensitive zones are areas notified by the MoEFCC around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. In Goa it is already identified as 1km from the boundary of protected areas).
Coming to Eco-Sensitive Areas, the Kasturirangan recommended that a large number of villages in the Western Ghats be notified as part of the ESA of the Western Ghats (in addition to other areas already protected, like wildlife sanctuaries, reserve forests, etc.) A panel of experts were here to undertake the process for those notifications (See details in our page 1 story alongside this Insight on Claude Alvares’ take).
Therefore, there was no mandate or any provisions for people to raise objections to Eco-Sensitive Zones or Eco-Sensitive areas. And the biggest untruth fed by the Minister was that people would not be allowed to get into their homes and do any activities in Eco-Sensitive Areas (which the Minister confused with Eco-Sensitive Zone).
The situation got even more embarrassing when he realised that he had misled the people to come in front of a wrong committee.
Goa Foundation Director, Claude Alvares while speaking the Herald on Tuesday said, “By passing resolutions on the advice of half-baked advice from politicians, panchayats in Canacona and Sattari (talukas) are in fact allowing their villages to accept these destructive projects. Once that happens, nothing can save them, including the politicians.”
Finally, the people of Goa must also understand that Goa is their land. She is a living symbol of their past present and future. Their lives are intrinsically linked to the land. They are lost when their land is unhealthy or non-existent. They cannot surrender their mother Goa to the greed of business and politics.
