GAURESH SATTARKAR
In a significant escalation of the region al standoff, the agitation against the proposed 50 MLD bhandara project at Mirabag has intensified as residents from neighbour ing villages—including Falnem, Mugoli, Soliem, Pontemol, Dhadem and Madel—joined forces in a massive show of solidari ty. Following the resump tion of digging work at the site, locals and social ac tivists gathered on Sunday to stage an act defiance against the project, cul minating in a traditional ‘gharane’ performed at the village Rakhandar temple to seek divine protection for their land, river, and livelihoods. This bhandara project was originally proposed at the same location last year but was stalled fol lowing stiff opposition from locals. Subsequently, the gov ernment shifted the pro ject to Falnem, where it again faced massive pro tests and was stopped. Despite this, a pump house was constructed to pump water from the river.
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Following sustained opposition, villagers met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, after which the project was temporarily put on hold. However, after a few months, bhandara work restarted once again near the same bridge location that had earlier been proposed and strongly op posed by villagers. “For all these years, we have protected our village and lived peacefully. Everything was going smoothly until this bhandara project came like a devil and began destroying our village. We approached everyone—the Chief Minister, MLAs, and ministers—but no one has given us a proper presentation or explanation of what exactly will come up at this site, what benefits this bhandara will bring, or what we will gain from it. We will get no benefit from this bhandara. Pipeline work is going on without taking a single NOC from private landowners. The work is being carried out without taking anyone into confidence. This is pure use of force by the government. We have filed RTIs, and nothing in this project is clear or correct. A public hearing is mandatory, but it was never conducted,” Upen dra Naik, a local. “We even met WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar, who admitted that proper alignment in this area is not feasible. We also met our MLA Ganesh Gaonkar, but we received no support from him. Why is this Bhandara needed? To pump and divert water elsewhere. We want a clear explanation. If we are wrong, explain to us how we are wrong and tell us the truth. People are being misled by claims that this water will benefit local villages, but in reality, the water will be diverted to the Maisal Dam. Not a single drop of water will come to our villages,” said Naik. Locals have raised serious environmental and safety concerns, stating that the Zuari River has several sub-riv ers and functions on natural low and high tide rotations. They fear that construction of the bhandara will disrupt this natural flow, causing the river water to turn saline. This, they warn, will severely impact the river’s flora and fauna. Villagers also expressed grave concerns that blocking the river flow could lead to severe flooding, especially during monsoon. Houses located close to the riverbanks may be destroyed, and entire villages including Mirabag, Mugoli and Falnem could face devastating floods and dis placement. They have demanded a proper project presentation and that they be taken into confidence. They also reiterated that they will not allow the project at any cost and threat ened to intensify their agitation if the government contin ues to ignore their concerns. “Those whom we elect are our servants and must work as per the will of the people. We are clear about what we want and what will not be accepted. When we asked for documents related to the bhandara construction, the au thorities had no papers to show. Even if such documents exist, they are being deliberately hidden because nothing in this project is as per the rules. The same thing hap pened during the Unity Mall issue. Under RTI, we were told a four storey building was proposed, but later per missions were sought for a nine storey building. Projects are being concealed from the public and pushed forward secretly, which is completely wrong,” said Govind Shirod kar, Chimbel Wetland Committee chairman. “If the government plans to bring any project, it must first inform the public and conduct a mandatory public hearing. In this Rs 280 crore bhandara project, the gov ernment is playing with people’s lives. No Detailed Pro ject Report has been displayed at the site, so how will the public know what is actually planned? Everything is being done in the dark. If Goa is to be saved, every Goan must come out and raise their voice,” said Shirodkar. “The government is trying to destroy our temples, chapels, primary school, houses, and agriculture by bringing this project only to fill their own pockets. The Zuari River is the lifeline of the locals and has a natural ecosystem. Many families depend on its water for agri culture, yet the government is attempting to destroy its natural habitat. The government has already sold Mha dei, and now it is coming after Zuari. But we will stand strong to protect our Zuari River, our temples, and our villages. The government is working against the people and is playing with public sentiments in a dictatorial manner, without taking the people into confidence,” said Sanket Bhandari, an activist.
