Team Herald
PANJIM: Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane said that all affected village panchayats from Sattari taluka have submitted to the State government their suggestions and objections regarding the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)’s draft notification related to declaring the villages as Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA).
Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a programme, Rane said, “The affected village panchayats from Sattari taluka have given their say to the government and I am confident that the Chief Minister will present the matter to the Centre in the right perspective and we will get justice.”
The State govt had sought feedback from various village panchayats in this regard; the same was consolidated and sent to the MoEF&CC with additions from the government.
MoEF&CC draft had put 108 villages from Goa in the ESA list. In response to the draft, the State government had recommended dropping 21 of these villages. Of the remaining 87 villages proposed under ESA, 51 are from Sattari, 23 from Sanguem, eight from Dharbandora, four from Canacona and one from Ponda.
The Citizens Committee of Loliem and the villagers of Poinguinim have already urged the MoEF&CC to retain Loliem and Poinguinim villages of Canacona taluka within ESAs of Western Ghats.
The MoEF&CC had reissued the sixth draft ESZ notification on July 31, 2024, reiterating the proposal to declare as ESZ 56,825.7 sq km in six States including 1,461 sq km in Goa as ESA.