Show of strength at Mopa EIA hearing sees heated exchanges

TEAM HERALD

PERNEM: Greatly outnumbered, the anti-Mopa lobby did have its say at the public hearing of the greenfield International Mopa airport Environment Impact Assessment (EIA), even as heated exchanges led to some tension at the venue. It was the large police force present that ensured that the hearing was conducted peacefully without any untoward incident.

There pro-Mopa supporters included people from Mandrem and Pernem constituencies and even from Maharashtra. Prominent among the politicians present were former PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, and MLAs Kiran Kandolkar and Dr Pramod Sawant.

While most of the pro-Mopa airport speakers spoke about the need for the airport and the creation of jobs as well as the development of the area, the anti-Mopa lobby attacked the EIA report poking holes in their findings.

Sources said anti-Mopa speakers like Goans for Dabolim Only Convenor Fr Eremito Rebelo and Sandip Kambli were booed despite a strong police presence, who did nothing to curtail the intimidatory tactics of the large mostly pro-Mopa crowd. However, the most hostile reception was reserved for Alemao and he was jeered when he came on the scene and was greeted with boos.

“The public hearing was a complete sham, with people commenting adversely on EIA being continuously jeered and targeted by the supporters, who brought in bus loads, clearly outnumbered their opponents and drowned their comments in the din,” Jose Maria Miranda said. 

Fr Rebelo and Alemao were the recipients of choice abuses from the crowd that sought to restrain and drown out the anti-Mopa voices by the vehemence of their protests and the volume of their boos and abuses.

Sources said there were a few rows of participants who were uninterruptedly booing the speakers who were giving vent to their feelings with sound arguments against the EIA. The police remained silent spectators where some individuals were dancing through the crowd, one with a toy plane and another gesticulating, ridiculing some of the speakers. 

“An international airport is a must for any major tourist location. With an international airport at Mopa major changes in the tourism industry and Goan economy are on the cards,” stated a Mopa airport supporter, while an anti-Mopa supporter said that the proposed international airport at Mopa will do more harm than good to Goa, as it will destroy the economy and environment of Goa and surroundings villages of Maharashtra.

Those who opposed the international airport, criticised the government on various grounds, as they claimed that the government failed to take into confidence the affected farmers and people of the area. They further claimed that there was little public awareness regarding the public hearing organised by the government. They also criticised the EIA report of the proposed airport stating that the report was not correct. They have threatened to approach the court on the issue.

Whenever the speakers spoke in favour of the airport, there was huge applause from the audience.

Keshav Dhondu Bhagat gave in writing that his family has been living in Nanyache Pani for many generations and are dependent on Shedicho Zoro, Nanyache Tolli for perennial water consumption for drinking and plantations. “We also have our religious temples and other traditions, and all this will be destroyed if the airport comes,” said Bhagat.

Sandip Kambli said, “If the airport comes, trees will be cut, springs will get dry and agriculture will be destroyed. Is there need for two airports?”

Churchill Alemao said, “I have not received the EIA report and two airports are not required for Goa.”

A source said, “What was strange was that the Collector Neela Mohannan, after having declared that the proceedings were restricted to objections and comments on EIA, allowed the pro-Mopa group to comment on anything under the Sun.”

Many who attended said that the proceedings should have been restricted only to those opposing the EIA on their lapses and omissions and to those making useful suggestions on environment. 

Others who spoke against the airport included environmentalist Ramesh Gawas, Fr Rebelo, Sidddharth Karapurkar, Florin Gonsalves, Prof Joe D’Souza, Sandeep Raul, Kenedy Alfonso, Sandeep Sawant from Sawantwadi, Vinayak Nanoskar, Jose Maria Mirnada, Sandeep Kambli, Umesh Kambli, Narayan Shamba Salgaonkar and others.

The pro-supporters were Adv Ramakant Khalap, Tivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar, Sanquelim MLA Dr Pramod Sawant, People for Mopa Chairman Devendra Prabhudeasi, Advocate Prasad Shahapurkar, ZP member Pandurang Parab, former Dhargal sarpanch Suranji Harmalkar, Torsem Sarpanch Vinayak Mahale, Ibrampur Sarpanch Nilesh Naik, Pernem Municipal Council Chairperson Vasudev Deshprabhu, Korgao Sarpanch Pandari Arolkar, Advocate Murari Parab and others.

A detailed summary of the proceedings will be sent to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), which in turn will decide on granting environmental clearance (EC) for the Mopa airport project.

North Goa Collector Nila Mohanan in coordination with the officials of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) conducted the public hearing at Shemechi Adval in Pernem taluka. Deputy Collector Swapnil Naik and other officers of GSPCB were present.

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