VASCO: National Fishworkers’ Forum vice-chairperson Olencio Simoes today hit out at Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari for talking about completing dredging of navigational channel leading to Mormugao Port and blaming environmental activists from Goa for stopping dredging project citing loss of Rs 250 crore to the exchequer.
Addressing reporters in Vasco on Monday, Simoes said, “We would like to remind Gadkari that he and his government had fraudulently granted EC on the pretext of stating that the dredging was of maintenance type but in reality it was capital dredging in the existing navigation channel by deepening the channel from about 14 metres to 19.5 metres and over a larger area with width of about 250 metres and length of about 10 km,” he said.
He added that “Even after filing several complaints specifically pointing out the potential adverse environment impacts and illegalities to all the statutory authorities, no action was taken to stop the dredging at MPT. It was then decided by the most effected fishermen Unions at Khariwaddo Vasco, including Old Cross Fishing Canoe Owners Co-op Society Limited and Baina Ramponkar Fishing Canoe Owners Society, to approach the NGT (Western Zone) Bench, Pune and NGT passed an order in favour of the petitioners after which public hearing has been scheduled” Simoes said.
OCFCOCSL president Custodio D’Souza said “Gadkari rather than taking action on the concerned officials involved in the fraud by violating the provisions of the EIA Notification and misusing public tax payers money of Rs 250 crore, decided to turn a deaf ear to the court orders, and now has been blaming concerned citizens of the country. It seems that Gadkari has a keenness in dredging at MPT and giving autonomy to ports all over India which have only directly benefited Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited company who has almost captured nine ports all over India and has violated environmental norms on several counts” he said. He further added that “The dredging plans at MPT will destroy fishermen livelihood of Khariwaddo, Baina, Desterro, Sancoale, Cortalim and others and this will only accelerate unemployment in the coastal Konkan belt of India rather giving employment as claimed by Gadkari. NFF, OCFCOCSL as well as Baina Ramponkar and Fishing Canoe Owners Society demands an apology and action on the concerned officials who have taken law for granted for their vested interests and scrap dredging at MPT and abide by the NGT order by restoring the already damaged environment” he demanded.
