Team Herald
Margao: Goenchea Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) has criticised Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for proposing projects that will only destroy the marine ecology.
“In the name of development, the government has been proposing projects like sea planes, deep dredging for expansion of ports, and marinas, which are destructive in nature. Isn’t the government happy with destroying land that it needs to destroy the seabed too? Where is the sustainable development promised by the BJP?” said Agnelo Rodrigues, GRE president.
Olencio Simoes, GRE joint general secretary and National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF) secretary, accused the Central government of robbing the State as well as country of their marine environment through haphazard plans for development.
GRE has also warned Gadkari against campaigning for marinas, floating jetties, seaplanes and expansion of shipbuilding yards – which people and ruling MLAs have opposed – as well as taking Goa’s environment and people for granted.
Simoes stated that the National Waterways Bill, 2015 is aimed at converting 111 rivers across the country – six in Goa – into ‘national waterways’, and to achieve that goal, all those rivers will be dredged.
He further said that these rivers have not been dredged for several years, and hence, it is common sense that unsustainable and sudden dredging will cause the riverbed to collapse, followed by water-logging of low-lying areas surrounding the river and the destruction of mangroves, corals, seaweeds and other marine ecology.
“Experts like Dr Antonio Mascarenhas of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) has already warned the government against the deep dredging proposed by Mormugao Port Trust (MPT), which will only aggravate sand erosion, cause drastic morphological changes within the estuary, and lead to washing away of the entire areas of Sancoale, Chicalim and Baina. How can a government that claims to believe in sustainable development propose such destructive plans without first conducting a comprehensive study?” said Simoes.
He also claimed that 42 percent of India’s coast has already been washed away, and that dredging 111 rivers and expanding ports and jetties will only magnify the erosion caused by illegal constructions in CRZ areas.
GRE and NFF have demanded that all dredging and expansion works be halted immediately until there is a comprehensive study on what level of dredging the country’s coastline can handle.
“Around 20 percent of Goa’s coastline has already been affected by erosion. Apart from our beaches, Colvale in North Goa and River Talpona in South Goa have seen massive erosion last monsoon. Heavy sand mining, constructions along the coast, and destruction of natural vegetation are some reason for such destruction. We fear a Chennai flood-like situation with this unsustainable dredging. When will the government stop taking the environment for granted and put serious thought into sustainable development?” said Simoes.
