CALANGUTE: There has been a blatant destruction of mangroves in violation of the Environment Protection Act during the project of strengthening and renovation of the old bundh from Nerul Bridge to Caculo House at Candolim by the Water Resources Department (WRD), the Calangute Constituency Forum (CCF) claimed on Friday.
The Rs 4.5 crore project involves repairs of the old bundh and development of a mangrove walk alongside the Nerul-Sinquerim River with various recreational facilities.
In a complaint to the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), Chief Secretary, the North Goa Planning and Development Authority (NGPDA) and other authorities, the CCF stated: “The existing 3.5 metres width of the bundh has been expanded to 6-8 metres by doing land filling and destroying the mangroves/biodiversity of the water bodies.The Goa State Biodiversity Board has made it very clear that the mangroves and the biodiversity along the riverside shall not be destroyed while carrying the repair work of such bundhs.”
The forum also pointed out that the land filling is done on a large scale by covering the water bodies and causing destruction of its biodiversity to expand the width of the existing bundh for vehicular movement and ‘in the interest of builder lobby’.
“The expansion of road towards the western side of the property is done in the interest of the developer who has a project passed without proper access in a private property. In spite of the fact that such rules exist in protection of biodiversity, the WRD and their contractors have done blatant violation of Environment Protection Act and destroyed the river biodiversity by cutting mangroves and using concrete for retaining wall,” the CCF stated in the complaint filed on December 21.
“We request that the project be redesigned on the guidelines of eco-friendly project – mangroves walk carried out at Mala, Panjim, using all eco-friendly material,” the forum has said.
Despite filing the complaint, there has been no action taken by the GCZMA or others, CCF members said.
