Team Herald
SANGUEM: With the farmers opposing the survey process on Monday, the proposed IIT project site at Cotarli was under heavy police protection on Tuesday.
The officials, who arrived at the site with bus full of policemen, were questioned by the farmers led by Constancio Mascarenhas, who sought to know the reason behind the conducting the survey before the land acquisition process.
However, the officials claimed that they are merely conducting the survey of the water bodies and flora and fauna within the proposed area.
Not satisfied with their replies, the farmers demanded that the survey be stopped immediately. However, despite stiff opposition from the farmers, the officials continued with their work.
Farmers in Sanguem have threatened to take to the streets if the government goes ahead with the IIT project despite strong opposition.
Criticising the government for forcibly imposing the project on the locals, Santano Fernandes, a local claimed that the proposed area is an agricultural land with flora and fauna of different varieties. The vast area proposed to be acquired is also home to several wild animals, Fernandes said.
“One fails to understand the government’s move to set up the project on the agricultural land when there are vast plain lands in the surrounding villages, which could be used for the project,” said Jack Luis D’Costa, a farmer.
“Some villages in Sanguem taluka are facing acute electricity and drinking water supply problems and the IIT project, which will accommodate around 12,000 people, will only worsen the situation for the people in Sanguem,” Kevin Mascarenhas claimed.
Mascarenhas informed that a large number of farmers in the locality exclusively depend on the income derived from farming, which has been going on in Cotarli for generations.
