Team Herald
PANJIM: The Opposition MLAs in Goa have promised to raise their voice against the State government’s proposed widening of the existing National Highway 4A, railway line double-tracking and construction of new power transmission line running through the Bhagwan Mahavir wildlife sanctuary and the Mollem National Park during the daylong Assembly session on Monday (July 27).
This follows the spirited initiative of local citizens and college students, who have approached their individual MLAs urging them to raise their voice against these mega infrastructural projects, sates a media release issued by the Save Mollem Goa Citizens’ Group.
It may be recalled that on April 7, 2020, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had granted diversion of protected forest land for the three linear infrastructure projects during a standing committee meeting of the National Board for Wildlife via video conferencing. Goa stands to lose 187 hectares of forest cover and close to 55,000 trees if these projects are allowed to go through.
Speaking to a group of students, who approached him with a petition, Congress Legislative Party leader Digambar Kamat said, “It is important that we raise issues like the damage that will be caused to the Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mollem National Park, besides discussing the COVID pandemic, financial condition of the State and revival of economy.”
Likewise, on July 20, Curtorim MLA, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco had written to the Supreme court constituted Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in New Delhi communicating his concerns with the proposed cutting down of forest cover, states the release.
Even the former State Environment Minister and BJP MLA Alina Saldanha in a recent letter to the CEC raised her concerns on the three project clearances.
“Many people are completely opposed to these projects, but their voices have not been represented when deliberating on these projects,” she said.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Goa had written to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on July 23, 2020 expressing concerns over the clearances granted within the protected areas of Goa by the MoEF.
The AAP letter said, “We seek an intervention of the CEC to help the state and its people from the destructive and irreversible effects of this proposed plan…”
Former Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh has also extended his support to the people of Goa. In a recent tweet, Ramesh wrote, “I fully endorse concerns raised by Goans on clearing of forest land in Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary & Mollem National Park…,”adds the release.
