VALPOI: Vagheri Hill, lifeline of Sattari and the main part of Goa’s beautiful nature and serene environment is in danger as a project is coming up on the hill.
The hill is located at the centre of Western Ghat and Mhadei, Valvanti, Kottari, Kalti and other rivers are flowing from the Vagheri Hill. The hill is the main part of Goa’s nature and plays a pivotal role in Goa’s beauty.
Many trees have been cut down to make way to the hill and there are private plots marking in this pristine forest. Tents have been set up and there are plans to build hotels on this hill.
How these people can cut trees and make many routes. How they can take construction materials and vehicles on this hill, which is a government forest? The Forest Department and Forest officials are responsible for all this mess and also there is alleged involvement of Forest officials in this act. They have provided help to the local politicians and businessmen to carry the construction material on the hill through forest route,” say the locals.
“In 1997, the Sarvanand Sawant Committee had declared Vagheri as private reserved forest. The Committee was nominated by then government. Getting private projects on this hill area is a crime. If the private projects come here then the water resources, serene mountain and pristine forest will be completely destroyed. The wild animals will move in the residential areas and will attack the locals. If the Vagheri Hill is destroyed then the locals will face the major problems for their livelihood. This hill needs to be saved,” said renowned environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar.
“The Survey Number 102/1 is known as Vagheri Hill, the total area is around 52 lakh square metres. In this hilly area is tiger habitat and the government knows about it very well. It’s a beautiful nature, a gift of God. Now in this area, already many trees have been cut down and made many routes. It is very clear that on this hill a big project is coming. We demand with the government and the Forest Department to take strict action,” said another environmentalist Abhijeet Prabhudessai.
A nature lover Ramnath Parab said that while seeing Vagheri Hill he has written many poems and articles. Vagheri Hill is a tiger habitat that’s why it has got the name Vagheri. Today, this hill is in danger. Many trees have been cut down from this mountain and have made many routes. Some businessmen have made plans to destroy this mountain.
“We demand with the government to register an offence against this act and block all the routes. And to save this mountain and pristine forest, the government has to take immediate action,” says Parab.
In 2002, the then State government had proved that there is no tiger in the Western Ghat and had given this info through the Information Department. But in 2013, it was proved that Vagheri Hill was a tiger habitat. Now this hill is being allegedly sold by the politicians to some business tycoons. A concrete project is coming on this hill, which is destroying the pristine nature.
