Team Herald
MARGAO: Showing a deep concern for preserving the flora and fauna of the environment, now citizens of Quepem taluka have requested the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to include Malkarnem, Nagvem, Malcopona, Zonadem, Udorna and other villages of the taluka within ecological sensitive areas (ESA) of Western Ghats.
Citizens of Quepem taluka are amongst few others who have submitted their memorandum to the concerned Ministry and expressed anger against those demanding to remove the villages from the ESA.
Kiran Molcornekar, from Malkarnem-Quepem told Herald that they have already put in their objections to the exclusion of their villages and other ecologically sensitive villages of Western Ghats of Quepem taluka from the list of ecological sensitive areas.
It is pertinent to note that along with citizens of Loliem, and Canacona, several other villagers from different parts of Goa have also urged the Ministry to include their villages or to retain the village in the list of ESA.
“It is most surprising that Malkarnem, Nagvem, Malcopona, Zanodem, Undorna and other villages of Quepem taluka are totally excluded from the list of ecological sensitive areas of the Western Ghats proposed by the above referenced notification. Malkarnem, Nagvem, Malcopona, Zanodem, Undorna and other villages of Quepem taluka must be included in the ESAs of Goa,” demanded Malkarnekar.
He claimed that mentioned villages of Quepem are not only ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats of Goa, but also provide a vital link connecting the Western Ghats of Sanguem taluka with the Western Ghats forested hills in adjoining villages of Cacor and Sirvoi.
Malkarnekar further said that the entire taluka of Quepem is within the ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats of Goa.
“The densely forested headland extending through the entire length of the Quepem taluka from its borders with the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary to the Arabian Sea at Naqueri-Quitol villages of Quepem taluka and Cola village of Canacona taluka is of the highest significance as it hosts healthy resident populations of tiger, bison and all other wildlife species of the Western Ghats of Goa, despite being located outside the Wildlife Sanctuary,” he added.
Adding further, he said Quepem taluka is endowed with hundreds of springs, streams and rivulets forming the tributaries of Kushawati and Zuari Rivers. The existence of numerous rock carvings, caves and other archaeological remains from 10,000 years ago give evidence of a living civilization that must be protected.
The citizens of this taluka are of the opinion that the declaration of the villages of Quepem taluka as Ecologically Sensitive Areas of the Western Ghats is the only way that the indigenous communities and ancient civilization, with all its knowledge, can be protected and saved from certain doom.
“The propaganda against the Ecologically Sensitive Areas of the Western Ghats be countered by correctly portraying the ESA as being beneficial to the people and with widespread dissemination of the essence and critical contents of the Notification in local language,” demanded Malkarnekar.
