‘Airport nothing more than real-estate scam’, say locals

Villagers of Pernem as well as the farmers around the plateau of proposed Mopa international airport have alleged a real estate racket in the airport issue. While local legislators have bought all the land around the proposed airport area, the villages around it would dry up, they claim. According to the Mopa Vimantal Piditt Xetkari Samiti, there are hundreds of houses on the plateau, which existed since last 250 years. “The state government is not realising now what kind of grave mistake they are doing. Disturbance of Mopa plateau will crumble the entire ecosystem of Pedne,”Sandip Kambli, secretary of the Samiti told said. Pedne residents are indirectly dependent on this plateau for water, soil and fodder. Besides, the farmers are losing more than 100 lakh square meters of land from Varkhand, Cansarvarnem, Chandel, Ugvem, Amerem, and Poraskadem villages, he said. However, according to Samiti, the politicians want the Mopa airport not to provide employment to the locals but for their own real estate interest. “They have bought all the land around the proposed project. They will gain out of it, not us”, he said. The area has around 40 lakh cashew trees besides several beatlenut, jackfruit, mango and coconut trees. “The importance of conserving and protecting the plateau cannot be overlooked in the context of water security,” Kambli said. He also pointed out that the gigantic aquifer through numerous visible and underground springs meets the drinking water and irrigation meets the needs of a large section of the population of the taluka. Another resident Kashinath Gaonkar said Mopa airport is likely to destroy farming and the culture of the locals and should be scrapped immediately and instead agricultural assistance should be provided by the government if it wants the area to develop. The Pernem farmers also demanded to know why the existing airport at Dabolim cannot be expanded to cater to the marginal rise in passengers at the airport, especially since reports have suggested that Goa would not require a new airport till 2040. “The Mopa plateau holds a groundwater source within, has a water canal running right besides the proposed airport land & if the government goes ahead with the airport it is a grave injustice to farmers,” samiti member Rama Satelkar said. Calling the EIA bogus, Sandeep Kambli said that the government was trying to treacherously acquire their land in the name of public interest. “The People for Mopa Only are supporting the construction of the airport as they have their own hotels & shacks along the beach line which they want to prosper,” Kambli said. He pointed out that the EIA failed to take into account the valuation of the flora & fauna of the region, particularly the tigers & birds.