Team Herald
VASCO: Stating that without a youth revolution there cannot be a change, co-convenor of Goencho Avaaz Capt Viriato Fernandes on Saturday said it is the duty of each Goan to maintain Goa’s beauty by protecting and preserving it for posterity.
He was speaking at a public awareness meeting organised by Goencho Ekvott at Chicalim football ground to oppose and provide information on ill effects of the three linear mega projects on environment.
In his power-point presentation on the coal-related project and the future plans of the crony capitalists which they plan to bring to Mormugao, he claimed that in 2014 after becoming the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi pushed major “draconian” projects.
“We have come on the roads of Mormugao to stop coal transportation. The road expansion, double tracking, river nationalisation, etc, are being done only to facilitate coal transportation,” Fernandes alleged.
“It is a clear conspiracy to finish Goa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to be stopped from bringing mega projects to Goa. The State government is controlled by one private businessman. We have enough coal reserves in India but why coal is being imported from outside. MPT was a profit making body till 2013. In 2014, after Modi came to power MPT incurred losses, that time, the berths at MPT were given to Adani,” he claimed.
“In 2013, 7.5 million tonnes of coal was coming to MPT. After Modi became PM, MPT started running in losses and later these berths from MPT port were given to private parties. Sagarmala project is dangerous for the people. The idea of Sagarmala is to connect the major ports and rivers. On November 25, 2015, Sagarmala project was approved by Modi”, Fernandes claimed.
He said, “Major Port Authorities Bill has been passed recently and it means that the power rests with the MPT. This Bill was introduced in March 2020 in the Parliament. I would like to thank Chicalim sarpanch for the resolution in opposing this bill.”
Chicalim parish priest Dr Fr Bolmax Pereira said, “Youth have come out in large number at this awareness meeting at Chicalim.”
He said, “At the recent webinar, I had questioned Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral on sustainable development.”
“Environmental destruction should not happen. What is it we are losing and gaining from these three linear projects, I had asked Cabral. The minister had replied that right now he has no exact answer. Cabral also failed to reply how the common man, tribals, etc, will benefit from these three projects. He had then promised that he will reply to it later,” Fr Pereira said.
“These mega projects have been passed during the pandemic by government. How can this be done without taking the people into confidence? If we start cutting trees and hills then there will be landslides, floods etc. Scientists had cautioned against playing with nature as Western Ghats very important for the State,” Fr Bolmax added.
Highlighting the ill-effects of coal on the health of the people from Mormugao taluka, Dr Jorson Fernandes said, “If heavy metals such as mercury, coal dust, etc, enter our body they can cause cancer and other deadly diseases.”
He claimed that the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has failed to provide the coal risk information to the people.
