The story of dissent in Ambdai, Sanguem over construction of an alcohol factory is not so straight forward. It is not as simple as environment versus business. There are two sides to the story with one group favouring it and another hell-bent on stopping it. What is clear however, is that a number of coconut trees will have to be felled to clear land for construction of the factory. But it is certainly not a case of the entire taluka or town rising
up in arms. On the contrary, a part of ward 10 in the Sanguem municipal area, led by the councilor, are against the unit. Those against it do not own the land, they are not tenants and they are not employed to look after the property or tend to the coconut trees. In other words they have no economic connection with the land in question. The project is being supported by Sanguem MLA Subhash Phaldessai, who said that all people were taken into confidence before the unit owner was given the green signal. He also pointed an accusing finger at the councilor of Ward 10, Prakash Gaonkar who he claimed, had
raised the issue for political reasons. He said Gaonkar had supported the project and that the bhumipuja was conducted by his father. This was denied by Gaonkar. Phaldessai also claimed that a team of councilors and people visited a similar factory in the Bethora industrial estate to study the pollution aspects and returned satisfied.
It is obvious that some ground work was done before a decision was taken, at the local level to allow construction of the unit. Nonetheless, there are a few nagging questions. If coconut trees have to be felled what will the company do to make up for the loss of green cover? Is there any promise of jobs to locals? Can a committee of locals be formed to ensure that pollution is kept under control? Because some companies have the habit of installing machinery and not using it because of tight budgets. Why can’t this unit be accommodated in the industrial zone? What about water and power consumption? Lastly, is the land marked for industrial use in the regional plan? None of the above raised issues are insurmountable but the company needs to place all its cards on the table. If the Industrial Promotion Board has cleared the proposal then it must put the project report on its website so that people living in the area and genuine greens who wish to help them can access the same and arrive at a more informed conclusion.
With activists waiting to plunge into another agitation, this has the potential to draw all and sundry. The thought of felling 500 coconut trees is already worrying certain sections.
Those aligned against the government are also waiting for an excuse to point an accusing finger at it. So, Subhash Phaldessai and the promoters of the unit will have to tread carefully and the more transparent they are, greater will be the chance of smooth sailing. And this applies to Prakash Gaonkar as well because, of late, those opposing projects, have also come under the scanner. The ST community, which is looking for jobs
to improve their living conditions, must independently weigh the pros and cons of the project and not blindly follow Gaonkar unless they are absolutely sure they share a common interest.
