Team Herald
PONDA: Worried about losing livelihood they earning from Dudhsagar falls, mining, beside house construction activities, the Collem-Shigao and Mollem locals strongly opposed their inclusion in Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs)
At the special gram sabha of Collem-Shigao panchayat held under the chairmanship of sarpanch Govind Shigaonkar, the villagers strongly opposed recent Central government notification to include the Collem panchayat in eco-sensitive zones.
The villagers said that they solely
depend on mining and Dudhsagar Falls for their livelihood.
The villagers said since 2013 they have been strongly opposing the inclusion of Collem in the Eco-Sensitive Zone.
The villagers feared that if Collem is included in the Eco-Sensitive Zone then the Dudhsagar business will be closed forever.
They said that mining too may not resume and if included in the ESZ they will not be able to build houses and carry out construction activities in future. The Mollem Panchayat also passed a resolution opposing inclusion in Eco sensitive zones.