TEAM HERALD
VASCO: Chicalim gram sabha, on Sunday, unanimously resolved to retain Dabolim airport as the only airport in Goa. The members strongly rejected the proposed green-field airport at Mopa. The gram sabha members also adopted resolution to oppose construction of a marina at River Zuari bay on ground that it is a biodiversity hotspot. Even an NIO (National Institute of Oceanography) scientist has objected to the construction of a marina to preserve the biodiversity, they said.
The meeting chaired by Sarpannah Rubina Rodrigues, witnessed heated arguments soon after the Panchayat secretary Pradeep Tamhankar put up the proposal asking the gram sabha members to take decision on whether to increase the taxes or to retain the same for this financial year. “It was in the year 2008-09, the tax collected by the panchayat was increased and therefore it is left to the gram sabha to take a call,” Tamhankar proposed. The gram sabha members, however, rejected the proposal to increase the tax.
The second important issues on which all the gram sabha members were seen united was the proposal put by the Chicalim Villagers Action Committee (CVAC) to oppose a marina at Zuari bay. Rui Manuel Araujo of CVAC stated that the said Marina Bay has been declared by the Goa State Biodiversity Board as an eco-sensitive fragile area in which there are innumerable natural and rare resources. It is also the breeding ground for the window pane oysters known as Placuna Placenta.
“It is very clearly mentioned in the article published in Herald some two days back where an NIO scientist gave his opinion that a marina is not good for River Zuari and this shows that marinas at Zuari bay are not good for Goa and Goans,” Araujo said.
Sarpanch Rodrigues stated that the area is a source of livelihood to the locals and neighbouring villages. The gram sabha members later adopted a resolution to oppose the marina at Zuari bay.
The issue of shifting of martyrs’ memorial from its existing location (centre of Chicalim junction) to some other location was also discussed at the meeting, wherein it was pointed out that the structure is blocking the view of motorist. Therefore, the gram sabha also resolved to ask the government to shift the existing structure and widen the Chicalim junction.
The gram sabha also discussed the ways to build opposition against the proposed Mopa airport.
Panchayat member Francisco Nunes brought to the attention of the gram sabha the need to strengthen the movement to retain Dabolim as the only airport for Goa. He stated that the service providers like taxi and bus operators have not understood the seriousness of the issue and for which they have to come in the open. Later, the gram sabha passed a resolution to retain Dabolim as the only airport for Goa.
It was also discussed to strictly ban drawing water by tankers from wells from 7 pm to 7 am.
