Team Herald
SANGUEM: The villagers from remote villages in Sanguem, particularly those residing within the precincts of the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary gathered under the banner of Sanguem Vikas Manch and threatened to agitate if the government goes ahead with declaring their villages as eco-sensitive zones without excluding their lands, or giving them a public hearing on the issue.
At the meeting held on Saturday, the president of Sanguem Vikas Manch Adv Anand Gaonkar explained to the gathering of villagers the meaning of eco-sensitive areas and the implications of the demarcation for the people living within these zones in the Western Ghats. Gaonkar made it clear to the locals that once the villages are declared as eco-sensitive zones, it would bring about a number of restrictions that would make life difficult for them. The residents will not be able to carry out their day-to-day activities or undertake any construction within the earmarked villages, he said.
Several villages, which include Kurdi, Salauli, Rivona, Naiquinim, Nunem, Patem, Tudov, Villian, Portem,, Kumari, Verlem and Bhati are notified as eco-sensitive zones. Most of these villages are part of the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary and are widely inhabited by locals and have a significant populace that resides within the forest areas.
Ex-MLA Vassudev Meng Gaonkar called for the conduct of corner meetings in all the affected villages so that people are made aware of the complexities and lifestyle changes people will have to face once the demarcation is notified.
The speakers at the meeting demanded the exclusion of private lands from the notification, and the people of Sanguem demanded the scrapping of the ESA notification of their taluka.
