PANJIM: The Echoes of Earth Festival happening at Chopdem is facing the echoes of discontent from locals, who are aghast that the land on which the festival is being held in Chopdem, has a back story which is not at all green.
Villagers and activists fighting to save the green cover in Goa are fiercely against the event as they have alleged that merciless tree felling has been done on this land by the original owner, Brahm Enviro Constructions Limited. While the event organisers say that they are not aware of what has happened on this land in the past and that they have hired the land only for the duration of the event, villagers say that it is an administration-local-State government collusion
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It may be recalled that villagers through the NGO Goykarancho Awaz has filed complaints regarding this the land in Chopdem village of Pernem taluka, purchased by Brahm Enviro Constructions Limited which was a No Development Slope covered with Natural Cover comprising of various types of trees.
However, as claimed by locals, three years before 2018 the density of tree cover in the mentioned property had drastically reduced as a result of alleged illegal felling of more than 300 trees. The villagers alleged that acid and chemicals were used in destroying trees.
O Heraldo had reported in 2018, highlighting that no action was being taken against the culprits in the above case of tree felling. The original complainant Shubham Sawant said, “I had complained continuously regarding the conspiracy of tree felling that has been taking place here at Chopdem. I have evidence that trees have been cut but the Forest Department officials have not taken any cognisance” he said.
“There is no action being taken despite giving all the evidence” he said. “There is a huge backstory to this event. The event is a method to just show that they are eco-friendly but on the contrary the land owner is a developer of large projects” Sawant alleged.
Form 1 & 14 shows Brahm Enviro Construction Limited as the owner of the land. Swapnesh Sherlekar, President of Goykarancho Aawaz said “The joke of the day is that the festival that is going to happen on the land is being claimed as the first green festival of India after destroying the green of that land”. “This is not acceptable in the name of entertainment and even for the government of Goa to get associated with the festival is bad” he said.
Sherlekar expressed how villagers had put up a fight in 2017 but the government did not respond to the people.
