MARGAO: The Federation of Rainbow Warriors and Goyant Kollso Naka along with five other petitioners from various parts of Goa have filed a petition before the High Court of Bombay at Goa challenging the Phase-II forest clearance granted for the construction of the 400 KV transmission lines from Xeldem to Mapusa.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the State of Goa, M/s Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Ltd and three others are named as respondents in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The PIL questions the grant of the forest clearance, the transmission lines project, and the three linear projects proposed through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park. It also questions the ignoring environment protection demands and climate crises, violating the Forest Conservation Act, fragmentation of the Western Ghats, and refusing to consider the cumulative impact of all three projects.
The petitioners have prayed before the High Court to quash and set aside the approvals and clearances granted for the transmission lines project and the MoEF&CC office memorandums enabling these projects.
The transmission lines from Xeldem to Mapusa proposes to clear 69.41 hectares of forests and cut 18,427 trees while passing through 30 villages and nine rivers of Goa. The three projects together propose to divert 671.15 hectares of forests and cut 1,94,130 trees within and outside Goa.
“Despite numerous protests across Goa and the country against the destruction of Goa’s environment, economies and society, the State government is not willing to listen to the people’s genuine concerns. Hence the petitioners have been forced to approach the High Court with the hope of getting justice for the people of Goa and the future generations,” said Abhijit Prabhudesai of Rainbow Warriors.
