MARGAO
Social activists under the banner of Rainbow Warriors of Goa and other organizations too fought the battle against the Mopa airport on the social-environment front, but in vain.
Social activist Abhijit Prabhudesai said the battle launched by the civil society was basically to save the ecology, environment and stop the displacement of the villagers of Mopa and surrounding villages.
He recalled that the local people knocked the doors of the High Court way back in 2009 when the government invoked the urgency clause to acquire the land for the airport. ‘The people succeeded in the battle as the Court struck down the urgency clause. If the people had not to challenge the land acquisition, the airport would have become a reality long ago”, he said.
Abhijit further pointed out the legal battle did meet with success when the Supreme Court had upheld their plea by quashing the Environmental Clearance with a direction to prepare a new EC. ‘The EC prepared by the government got the approval when the ground reality did not change even one per cent between the first EC and the second EC,' he said.
The social activist further pointed out that then chief minister late Manohar Parrikar appeared determined to take Mopa airport to the logical conclusion. “Parrikar’s statements threatened to create a north-south divide. We had seen at the public hearing how people were mobilized in support of Mopa when the people inhabiting the area faced displacement from their habitat”, he added.
