Team Herald
PANJIM: Representatives of major Opposition parties on Saturday came together and extended their full support to the meeting planned in Sankhali Constituency, on Monday, January 16.
They have appealed to all Goans to join in large numbers to support the cause of saving Mhadei River.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President Amit Patkar, Goa Forward Party President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) State President Jose Philip D’Souza, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President Amit Palekar, TMC Joint Coordinator Samil Volvoikar and Jitesh Kamat of Shiv Sena were present at the joint media briefing held, at Azad Maidan, here.
AAP leader Amit Palekar said, “This is a do or die situation for the State and the people of Goa. The government did its best to stop the movement by stopping the meeting at Sankhali. However, we urge the people of Goa to attend the meeting that has been planned near Virdi-Amona bridge, on January 16, to save the lifeline of Goa, River Mhadei.”
GFP President Vijai Sardesai said, “The government worked overtime to sabotage the meeting planned in Sankhali. BJP is showing that they do not want the meeting to be held in Sankhali. We have come together to stop the government from allowing the diversion of Mhadei River because we feel that this is another Opinion Poll for Goa.”
TMC leader Samil Volvoikar said, “The government has revoked the permissions of the meeting because they are not serious on saving River Mhadei.”
Meanwhile, Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) has not extended its support to the meeting but announced that they will hold a separate protest meeting under the ‘Together for Mhadei Movement’ banner at Pissurlem, on Sunday, January 15.
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GAKUVED Federation to join protest
PANJIM: Gawada Kunbi Velip and Dhangar (GAKUVED) Federation on Saturday resolved to participate in the public meeting on Mhadei River near Virdi-Amona bridge, on Monday, January 16.
Speaking to reporters, GAKUVED Federation General Secretary Ravindra Velip said that the decision to support the meeting was taken in its Central Managing Council meeting. The Federation will also do awareness at village-level through its executive bodies on ‘Save Mhadei Save Goa’ campaign.
Velip said that damming and diversion of Mhadei will create numerous problems to the ecology and livelihood of the State.
“It will affect environment and the ecosystem of River Mhadei and wild life sanctuaries. Goa will have to face major problems in near future due to ecological imbalances caused due to human interference to the flow of River Mhadei.”
Velip has appealed to all tribal communities across the State to participate in the meeting at Virdi-Amona in Sankhali Constituency and to extend their support to the movement.
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Artistic touch to awareness
MARGAO: With the aim of extending their solidarity to the public movement to Save Mhadei River, the Goa Watercolour Artist Association is organising a unique event on Sunday, where they hope to create awareness on the Mhadei issue through the medium of art.
While addressing mediapersons here, members of the association, Kalidas Satardekar, Gourish Vernekar and Govind Silimkhan announced that on Sunday, January 15, from 8.30 am to 1 pm, they will have a live painting workshop at Guleli, Sattari on the subject of the River Mhadei.
Vernekar said that the artist community has also felt the need to join the movement to save Mhadei in their own way. Satardekar added that every week the watercolour artists meet to carry out live painting workshops to capture Goa’s scenic and natural beauty.
Silimkhann urged other artists to join them for this Sunday’s programme and emphasised that if the Mhadei River is diverted, then Goa would have to face catastrophic consequences and this is why entire Goa has to be part of the movement to stop the diversion.
