Team Herald
MARGAO: Opposition leader Digambar Kamat has written to the Member Secretary and Committee Members Central Empowered Committee (Constituted by the Supreme Court of India) expressing concerns regarding forest clearances at Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park for railway double tracking, widening of National Highway 4A and laying of power transmission line.
Digambar in his letter said, “As a member of Goa Legislative Assembly and Leader of Opposition, I believe in standing up for the interests of Goa, and I am not at all in favour of these dubious forest clearances given for these three linear environmentally destructive, infrastructure projects at Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park. Moreover, the NBWL gave clearances (during the 56th and the 57th meeting of its Standing Committee) for the expansion of NH4A highway and laying of the 400kv transmission line during the COVID-19 lockdown.”
“These three projects have been viewed in isolation. If viewed together one will be able to see that these three projects fragment Goa’s largest protected area and areas outside, irreversibly. These projects not only affect the trees and the thousands of animals that live in refuge here but they also have direct effects on our lives,” said Digambar.
“Further, COVID-19, a zoonotic disease, highlights the importance of keeping our forests intact, any form of degradation of these forests will have an insurmountable impact on public health and can increase the transmission of diseases,” he reminded.
Digambar has urged the committee members to protect Goa’s future which according to the Leader of Opposition is at a crucial juncture and requested their urgent intervention.
