PONDA: Calling upon the locals to fearlessly come out and oppose the destructive projects passing through Mollem, Goencho Ekvott (GE) vice chairman Julio Cedric Aguiar said these projects would have irreparable effect on the environment including the world famous Dudhsagar.
GE along with the residents of Collem held an awareness programme at the Collem taxi stand on Sunday to highlight the environmental damage that will be caused due to the three linear projects passing through Mollem.
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GE chairman Creson Antao assured the villagers of two panchayats full support from the people of Goa to protect the beautiful Western Ghats from destruction.
He called upon the panchas and ZP members to support the agitation against these projects and to keep interest of Goa as their priority.
Urging the locals to continue their fight to protect their villages, their forests and their rivers, Goencho Avaaz convener Capt Viriato Fernandes alleged that the present administration is dedicatedly working for the profits of the crony capitalists.
Fr Bolmax Pereira said Goans are for sustainable development involving people’s participation, and not for the benefit of few industrialists. The Government belongs to the people who have voted the elected representatives to power.
Goencho Ekvott Women’s Wing convener Ella Mascarenhas urged the women to come out to oppose these projects which will have a devastating effect on their health.
Royla Fernandes informed that the destruction of Western Ghats for the 3 projects would mean destruction of Goa’s water sources. The materials to be used for reclamation of embankments for highways will destroy the ground water table. “It’s high time each Goan unites and protects this land for our generation,” Fernandes said.
Jose Cabral from Nagoa, Verna informed that being an infrastructure contractor, he declined a lucrative project in Goa with the South Western Railway after studying the ill-effects of these projects.
He appealed to Goans to selflessly rise in the interest of the State to safeguard it from further destruction.
Tribolo D’Souza, an active member of the Dudhsagar Taxi Association, said “With the railways planning to have a special train for tourists from Margao to Dudhsagar, the livelihood of around 1500 families will be directly affected.”
He also informed that attempts are made upstream in Karnataka to divert the river water and to falsely show that water amount at Dudhsagar has reduced.
Krishna Zore from Mollem said the administration has not informed the locals about the transmission lines & other projects passing through Mollem and has cut down trees mercilessly during the COVID lockdown.
Goencho Ekvott founder Orville Dourado Rodrigues appealed to Goans to come together irrespective of their differences to save Goa from being auctioned to the crony capitalists.
