PANJIM: Even as the top officials of the Forest Department are conducting a hectic exercise to appeal against the directive of the High Court to the Goa govt to declare the Mhadei Cotigao forest complex as a Tiger Reserve (corridor) Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s statement has exposed the politics that has been played for decades in Goa with the river Mhadei issue.
Activists said that only if the suggestion made by Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar was taken and Tiger Reserve was notified the destruction of Mhadei would have stopped before it started.
The Union Minister Joshi on Sunday said that the proposal to set up the tiger corridor in Goa and other issues before the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is responsible for the delay in the implementation of the Mahadayi-Kalasa Bhandura project. The farmers had marched to his residence at Hubballi yesterday seeking early forest and ecological clearances for the execution of the work of the project. “It was the BJP led-Union government which had issued a gazette notification on the Tribunal Award and cleared the DPR,” he reminded the protestors.
“After the setting up of the NGT, there have been stricter rules for clearances. Goa has also raised the issue of the tiger corridor. The Karnataka State Wildlife Board also has to give its clearance and send it to the Centre, which has not been done so far. The Karnataka State Board should immediately send it to the Centre. We are also pursuing the matter at various levels to get the project cleared,” the Minister further added
Activists toiling for the cause of protecting the Mhadei river from diversion said that crores of rupees have been spent over the years only to extract political benefits out of the lifeline of Goa that is Mhadei.
Noted environmentalist and leading light of the Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan Rajendra Kerkar said, “Not just tiger reserve but each and everything that we had placed before the Tribunal has been proven true. If the government has a clear intention a way to include the habitation and notify the Tiger Reserve is possible,” he said.
Another activist of Save Mhadei Front Rajan Ghate said that the statement of Minister Joshi only proves that if the Tiger Reserve were notified when it was ordered to years ago it would have saved the river, money spent on legal battles and the hard work of activists.
“Mhadei has been only used to play Politics. Decades of politics played over river Mhadei has been exposed with the statement of Union Minister Joshi,” he said.
“Former forest officer Milind Karkhanis said, “In the entire delay the damage to the Mhadei river by means of in-basin diversion has already been done. Now, efforts should be put in to scientifically save and cull the damage that the work has caused,” he said.
Meanwhile, opposition MLAs in Goa have also weighed in on the issue
Yuri Alemao, the Leader of the opposition said “The Forest, Water Resources and Environment Ministers along with the Chief Minister of Goa were completely evasive when I asked them whether Tiger Reserve is the only thing that will save River Mhadei. The Double Engine Sarkar is only fooling the people of Goa. Union Minister’s statement proves that the Government of Goa is only helping Karnataka to divert the waters of Mhadei”
Vijai Sardesai MLA Fatorda mentioned “I’m requesting the Govt again to see reason for the sake of Mhadei and Goa, and support Goa’s united call for the Tiger Reserve”, while Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said “The statement of Union Minister Prahlad Joshi is evidence that the Tiger Reserve will block the progress of Karnataka’s projects to divert Mhadei waters outside the basin”
STATUS OF APPEAL AGAINST HC ORDER OF NOTIFYING TIGER RESERVE
Indian Forest Services (IFS) Officials of Goa have undertaken hectic exercise to appeal against the HC order for notification of the Tiger Reserve in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar said that the order is highly watertight and the notification cannot be avoided.
After the setting up of the NGT, there have been stricter rules for clearances. Goa has also raised the issue of the tiger corridor. The Karnataka State Wildlife Board also has to give its clearance and send it to the Centre, which has not been done so far. The Karnataka State board should immediately send it to the Centre. We are also pursuing the matter at various levels to get the project cleared
— Prahlad Joshi, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs
Not just the Tiger Reserve but everything we had placed before the Tribunal has been proven true. If the government has a clear intention, a way to include the habitation and notifying the Tiger Reserve is possible
— Rajendra Kerkar, Mhadei Bachao Abhiyan
If the Tiger Reserve was notified when it was ordered to years ago it would have saved the river, money spent of legal battles and the hard work of activists
— Rajan Ghate, Convenor, Save Tiger Save Mhadei
In the entire delay, the damage to the Mhadei river by means of in-basin diversion has already been done. Now, efforts should be put in to scientifically save and cull the damage that the work has caused
— Milind Karkhanis, former Forest Officer Goa
