It’s time for a new order in Nuvem, with old warhorses fading

Post delimitation, Loutolim constituency was renamed as Nuvem. The rechristened constituency stretches across Salcete from Majorda to Betalbatim, Utorda to Loutolim, Nuvem to Verna and parts of Seraulim to Pirni. The constituents are a grumbled lot in Nuvem, which has witnessed environmental degradation.

The constituents are faced with many problems such as illegal laterite mining, depleted ground water, sale of water through tankers, destruction of natural streams due to the highway expansion, migrants in Pirni and Verna working in the industrial estate and no support to poor families involved in agriculture in Verna and Nuvem. They have blamed the factories in the Verna Industrial Estate for the current scenario.

Pointing to several issues, Nuvem resident Bruce Fernandes says, “There are a host of issues owing to the varied topographical lay of the land – from the hills of Loutolim to the river basin plains of Nuvem and to coastline of Utorda. The constituency is witnessing riverside degradation, decimation of agriculture and forest, semi-urbanisation owing to the highways and industrial estate, and the burden of tourist industry resources on the coastal villages.”

But Mickky Pacheco thinks that the sops he offers and the government schemes of Griha Aadhaar, Ladli Laxmi and DSS will help the locals but sadly they haven’t.

At one end Nuvem sarpanch Conceissao Colaco has been fighting against the destruction of the flora and fauna and the water bodies with the mud and silt allegedly dumped to expand the Eastern Bypass. Aleixo Pereira at Utorda has been taking on the hotel lobby to stop alleged destruction of the beach due to various violations such as hosting of events on the beach and release of sewage into the sea.

Joao Philip Perei

ra, another activist in Verna has been fighting to close the alleged illegal bore wells in the Verna Industrial Estate besides fighting the migrants in Pirni, who are allegedly involved in eve-teasing and thefts.

“We had a certain MLA from 1994 until 2012 who was finally defeated. Aleixo Sequeira’s focus was only to see the industrial estate thrive, which was the cause of many problems, while Mickky Pacheco’s tenure was disastrous. With his jail term and him only fighting his cases, Nuvem needs one of its own, who can understand the complexity of its problems,” explains Joseph Pereira.

He feels that Nuvem is one of those unlucky constituencies like St Andre and Cortalim where the passage of the highway has become a priority than the people who live and struggle along it.

The constituency has witnessed Aleixo Sequeira’s reign and then Mickky coming in on a regional party in 2012 and the latter “betraying” his own party by joining Goa Suraj Party. His once friend-turned foe, ZP member Wilfred D’Sa, the new face of the Congress, brings an interesting scenario to the 2017 polls. Also in fray is Vincent Rodrigues, the Nuvem candidate for the NCP, who has the support of former MLA Radharao Gracias besides AAP’s Dr Mariano Godinho, a highly respected doctor who’s trying to win on the anti-corruption plank and getting a great deal of silent support.

“A leader needs to serve the constituency and strive hard to meet the demands of his constituents both the rich (the high caste) and the poor (the Gawdas and Kunbis) and not the government, who only looks at highway expansion,” feels Richard Pereira.

Wilfred D’Sa, sitting ZP member and Congress candidate says, “The BJP government has been anti-people and anti-poor and the destruction and land filling of the fields in Nuvem is a disgrace.”

AAP’s Dr Mariano Godinho says, “Mickky Pacheco has completely failed and the degradation of the environment in Nuvem is because of the corrupt practices by a handful of people, which need to be curbed.”

Pacheco, who joined the GSRP says, “The BJP tag has let me down and I have distanced myself from it.  I’m seeking my last election in Nuvem and will continue to work and be available to my people.”

NCP’s Vincent Rodrigues said, “The important factor now is to unite all the people under one banner and not allow the under-performing MLA or others to benefit from the vote split.”