Justice-seeking Siolkars vow to knock court doors to save their village

SIOLIM: The residents of Siolim, who once again marched out of their houses to stage their fifth consecutive silent candlelight protest to halt tree cutting for road widening on Tuesday,  have now decided to knock the doors of the court to seek justice in order to save their village from rampant destruction.

The protest was held near St Francis Xavier High School, Siolim. The Goa Green Brigade led the protest amid mounting concerns regarding the indiscriminate felling of trees and concern for the environment and unauthorised road expansion.

They claimed that over 30 trees have already been felled and there are plans to cut 120 more trees on the stretch. The protestors held posters such as “Save our forests today,” “Trees are not renewal resources,” etc.

The Goa Green Brigade along with local residents has been continuously protesting against the cutting of trees for road widening.

“What they have done is totally illegal and unlawful. They have gone all guns blazing by cutting trees and demolishing compound walls without obtaining the consent of the people. The PWD and Forest Department claim that they are unaware as to who is behind the scene of destruction. If they are unaware then who is? Can anybody come to Siolim, covet people’s land and cut their trees? I am definitely joining public-spirited citizens and knocking the doors of the court to save my village, said Alba Sequeira, a landlady and former Siolim sarpanch.     

“Two coconut trees in my property were cut down without my consent and despite a board mentioning ‘Trespassers will be prosecuted’. They were about the cut the third one and I stopped them and filed a police complaint on March 7, asking them to conduct an inquiry and find out who was responsible,” Alba said and added that till today the police have done nothing.      

Avertino Miranda, Convenor Goa Green Brigade said, “We will be initiating legal action through a PIL. The entire action of road widening and cutting of trees is done in a high-handed manner without following due process. The cutting of trees has stopped after our protest. The Calangute MLA Michael Lobo should be brought to book for cutting the trees. He wants to convert Siolim into Calangute by concretising it. We will not allow this. The road widening is intended to benefit hotels and mega housing projects. Also a casino is planned to be brought to the Siolim riverside which we will oppose.” 

“Wide roads will not solve the traffic congestion rather traffic management will solve the problem. Therefore there is no need to destroy nature by cutting trees for road widening. People will take the legal way to bring a complete halt to this jungle raj,” said Ervin Fonseca, an Environmentalist.

It may be recalled that earlier, O Heraldo had reported that around 40-odd protesters, had marched with candles of anger and solidarity in Siolim over what they alleged was the wanton and random cutting of old trees in the village ‘to appease the builder’s lobby’.

The candlelight vigil is held to focus the anger among the locals over the type of development being undertaken under the Regional Plan that they have rejected.