Team Herald
MARGAO: Farmers from Loutolim have pledged to physically resist any attempt by the Public Works Department (PWD) to proceed with demarcation work for the controversial Borim bridge project while their case remains pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
With the tribunal adjourning the case to April 23, 2025, tensions have escalated among farmers who fear the government may use the delay to push forward with construction despite unresolved environmental concerns. The core dispute revolves around whether the bridge requires Environmental Clearance (EC) under existing regulations. Farmers argue that their Khazan fields—integral to their livelihoods—would suffer irreparable damage if the project proceeds in its current form.
Albert Pinheiro, president of the Carbot, Mascasana & Bebdo Tenants Association in Loutolim, voiced skepticism about the PWD’s intentions, alleging that officials might wait for the Khazan lands to dry before attempting demarcation.
“The Khazan fields are currently filled with saline water for pisciculture and weed control. Once they dry, the PWD may take advantage of the situation to begin demarcation,” he warned.
Pinheiro reaffirmed that the farmers were prepared to resist any premature demarcation efforts.
“We have already protested and physically stood by our fields when the PWD attempted demarcation. If they proceed despite pending legal issues, farmers will have no choice but to take direct action to protect their lands,” he said.
He stressed that the farmers’ concerns could be resolved if authorities altered the bridge’s alignment to avoid the Khazan lands. “We are relying on government-issued notifications that prohibit construction on Khazan fields. If the government does not honour its own rules, then depending on regulations becomes meaningless,” Pinheiro remarked.
The NGT had adjourned the hearing due to a packed schedule and the absence of technical experts from Chennai.
Despite a request for an earlier date, farmers were advised to submit objections and demands the following Monday.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has yet to submit a fresh affidavit clarifying EC requirements, and the State government has not responded to the farmers’ request for an interim stay on construction.
The case, initiated in May 2024, hinges on whether the bridge project exceeds the 150,000 square-meter threshold, which would mandate Environmental Clearance under the 2006 EIA Notification.