Where would the environment be if not for public spirited individuals and the National Green Tribunal? In the doldrums, perhaps. Worse still, we would witness wanton destruction of practically every waterway, open space and green zone. This is exactly what is happening in Siolim with the blessings of Water Resources Minister Dayanand Mandrekar. What was supposed to be minor repairs to a bund is turning into full scale construction of a jetty, which local residents believe will be used to dock off-shore casinos. Their suspicions may or may not be well-grounded, but when a minister
knowingly violates every law to build a jetty, one cannot help jumping to conclusions or churning out conspiracies.
While green activists rightly moved the National Green Tribunal
for a stay on the construction and obtained one, the
damning report against this secret project came from Dr Antonio
Mascarenhas. Having been instructed by the NGT to conduct
an inspection report, the upright
doctor went about his job with
clinical precision and the report he
produced towards the end of June
exposes Mandrekar’s lie that the
WRD was trying to repair a bund.
One does not have to be an NIO
scientist to gauge the level of construction
activity at the site. A
casual look at photos gives the
picture of a large concrete jetty being
constructed on stilts in the river without an environment
impact study and clearance from the Goa Coastal Zone Management
Authority. The original bund has collapsed and the
presence of earth-moving machinery tells a story of deceit and
plunder. In his report Dr Mascarenhas points that plans for the
project were presented as repair of a bund. They were brought
on the agenda at the last moment and the WRD official present
at the GCZMA meet failed to make a presentation. Over a
short period of time a bund metamorphosed into a concrete
jetty with the government turning a blind eye.
It is at moments like this that one requires ministers like Alina
Saldanha and Jairam Ramesh, who always put the environment
first. That is the job of environment ministers. Unfortunately,
the river Chapora is being cluttered with concrete. If the
government was keen on building a jetty it should have said
so instead of attempting to shove it through the backdoor. It is
acts of commission like this that lends credence to the charge
made by the AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal that the BJP is as
corrupt as the Congress.
The report clearly states that the site where the jetty is being
constructed is 50 to 60 metres upstream of the Siolim-Chopdem
bridge and falls within the ambit of the CRZ rules. The
water resources department wrongly presented a picture of
chronic erosion along the river bank on the Siolim side and the
need for erosion control measures was therefore, over stated
by WRD officers. The report also states that the WRD is trying
to push a massive project under the pretext of river front development,
employment avenues, non-existent soil erosion, protection
of houses etc. It appears that the modus operandi of
the government is to commence projects without proper environment
clearances (the same MO was followed in the case of
the third Mandovi bridge) and then turn it into a fait accompli.
Nobody is against development, but illegal development and
wanton destruction of the environment is not acceptable. The
jetty must be demolished and the Chapora river restored to its
original state.
