VASCO: Residents of Maimollem, Vasco on Saturday objected to the crematorium project in their area claiming that it is a low lying area and since ages their forefathers have been carrying out farming activities in the fields.
Sanjay Redkar, a local said, “Nobody has approached us with proper justification on this additional crematorim in the low lying land. We have experienced flooding in this area during monsoon.”
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In a press release, the Maimollen locals said, “We, being the residents of Maimollem, qualify to be the main stakeholders pertaining to this issue, we had on earlier occasions objected to this proposal of the additional crematorium citing concrete reasons ranging from loss of property, high chances of loss of life due to flooding and disastrous impact to the environment”.
“We are not against development but we are against such development, which can endanger our lives and property. Alternatively the location of the new crematorium can be shifted to Orulem where the land has been reclaimed or more land can be occupied at Karewado near the existing crematorium or any such location, which does not endanger public life or property,” Redkar said.
“The MPDA has rightfully kept this area as Agriculture Zone and we request that this zone continues to be classified as an Agriculture Zone as this is a low lying agricultural field as well as a water catchment area since time immemorial,” he said.
“Considering the present economic slowdown and our much dependency on other States for supply of vegetables and food grains, we would request the authorities i.e. the Agriculture Department to review the farming activities in Maimollem, Redkar added.
When questioned whether they have approached the local councillor in this regard, the residents said that Fredrick Henriques is the ward representative and have requested him to maintain this zone as Agriculture Zone.
“We as the main stakeholders and the affected local residents of Maimollem request the Government authorities not to arbitrarily change the status of the field from agriculture to crematorium and also safeguard this naturally blessed land for agriculture for future,” they said
The residents warned that in case any attempts are made to change the status, they will be forced to take the legal course to stop the unplanned destruction of the field.
