Team Herald
MARGAO: Goans for Sustainable Development (GSD) has warned the bidders of the Mopa Green Field Airport project to stay away from the project, failing which they will be in deep trouble. GSD has written to the Directors of GVK Airport Developers, GMR Airports Limited, Voluptas Developers, Essel Infra Projects and the Airport Authority of India warning them of losses if they proceed with the project.
“The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report prepared by the government regarding the environmental, economic and social dimensions of Mopa plateau and surrounding villages is based on tenuous and incomplete data. Hence, it has failed to reveal the facts pertaining to the biodiversity, water resources, agriculture, inhabitant communities and other aspects of the plateau, thereby concealing the disastrous impact of such a project on them,” said Father Eremito Rebello.
He further informed that the Mopa plateau and its forests form a complete and independent biosphere of the highest ecological and biodiversity quality. Being a critical part of the Western Ghats, it needs to be marked as a World Heritage Site and carefully conserved for the health and well-being of all local and global denizens.
“We are surprised at the hurry in which the government is to float the RFP of the Mopa project even after knowing that there are two cases in the NGT and one in the Supreme Court against the land acquisition at the plateau, which is itself illegal,” said Fr Rebello.
When asked about the politicians that have become passive in the anti-Mopa fight, Edwin Pinto said, “We know what the politicians have done in the past and we don’t expect much from them. We are only waiting to see what they choose when the elections are declared.”
GSD has no plans of a public uprising, but has appealed to the people to be ready to come on the streets when required. It has informed that the hearing of one of the two cases in the NGT is scheduled for February 18 and the Ministry of Environment and Forests has asked the court for a one-month extension in yet another case.
