Panjim: Citizens for Protection of Sancoale have expressed shock over the Goa Pollution Control Board’s notice for holding a public hearing on the Marina amidst the rising threat of COVID19 pandemic.
The Citizens have written to Member Secretary, Goa State Pollution Control Board objecting to the proposed Marina project at Nauxim.
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“We have come to know through the newspaper reports that your department has decided to hold a Public Hearing with the plan to set up a marina at Nauxim. It is pertinent to note that the area in Nauxim as well as the entire estuary of Zuari is rich in marine biodiversity. Members of our organization used to interact with the research team from NIO (National Institute of Oceanography) during their research in the Zuari River. Their research had revealed the presence of rich biodiversity and hence based on that report, section of the Zuari is likely to be declared as a Marine bio-diversity hot spot,” the letter reads.
It further says that the development is highly disturbing as the government is trying to hold a Public Hearing, at a time when the corona pandemic is taking its toll and the government is advising the citizens not to venture out to avoid contracting or spreading the disease.
“Such double standards when seen in the context of holding such Public Hearings smacks of an ulterior motive on the part of the government agencies to indulge in nepotism, corruption and acts of omission and commission,” it said.
The citizens further said that the poor fishing community has lived and survived on the produce of the river since time immemorial and hence such destructive projects should have taken the factor of the very survival of the traditional community into consideration even before considering the proposal of a marina.
“Instead, the govt has danced to the tunes of some destructive forces to bring in marinas that will not only destroy our river but also do irreparable damage to our environment,” they said.
They recalled that during the tenure of late Manohar Parrikar as the Chief Minister, he personally visited the site and assured the people, that he being an Engineer could foresee total destruction of the river if such a marina is allowed to come up, due to the pollution that will take place because of the oil and other chemical pollutants that will emanate from the yachts.
“Sadly, this move by the government seems to be thoughtless one, devoid of any planning and future repercussions like destruction of our river and livelihood of our fishermen,” they stated.
Further, they warned the govt that if it persists with the proposal and tries to hold the hearing, they will be forced to give a call to the people of Sancoale to come out on the streets and do whatever possible to oppose this project and ulterior move on the part of the govt to destroy their river, by bringing in the marina.
