ASSAGAO: Amidst the ongoing battle to save the heritage Oxel spring from the construction activity going on near it, villagers have now taken the first step to get recognition of this spring following which they intend to move the court.
A large number of people from Oxel and Marna village in Siolim have been part of a signature memorandum which has been handed over to the Chairman of the Oxel Biodiversity Management Committee Vidyadhar Agarwadekar urging the committee to pass a resolution at the ensuing gram sabha of the village and then forward to the State Biodiversity Office to get the spring registered as a heritage wetland area.
Kapil Korgaonkar who is spearheading the movement informed that such springs and wetlands though notified and registered with the Water Resource Department have not been recognised by the Goa State Biodiversity Office and therefore as a first step they were planning to approach the Goa State Biodiversity Office.
Korgaonkar informed that many people had benefitted from this spring which actually was the Oxel church spring but belonged to all and it was known for its high medicinal value.
“Once we take a resolution at the gram sabha through our Biodiversity Committee, we will approach the State Biodiversity Office to help us in getting recognition for the spring and once that happens naturally it will amount to creating a buffer zone around the spring and prohibiting all construction activity now and in future also and that will help in safeguarding the spring,” he informed.
He said that this was the only major spring left in Oxel as many were already destroyed and were facing the threat of extinction now and efforts would be made to safeguard this spring at any cost.
“Any such type of mega projects are a threat to the rich biodiversity of any village and specially such springs are more in danger. These are our natural resources which we will not allow to be destroyed. We are also open to approaching the court if the need arises if the authorities fail to act. We have support of many villagers around us in this fight of ours to save the spring of Oxel,” Korgaonkar informed.
Interestingly Kapil Korgaonkar and uraj Chodancar have been the two activists who have been fighting right from beginning to save the famous Oxel spring . Later on Many joined them.
Meanwhile it is reliably learnt that archaeology dept will be inspecting the Oxel spring on June 28 as part of its Atmanirbhar Bharat Swayampurna Goa mission.
