PANAJI
Two Opposition parties -- the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- on Friday came out strongly against the proposed 'Ahoy' marina project at Nauxim on the northern bank of Zuari river and demanded that the State government clarify its position on it.
The project which had been put off after the State government averred before the Bombay High Court that it has been shelved last year returned to the table after the application of the proponents -- Kargwal Constructions Pvt Ltd -- for an environmental clearance (EC) elicited a response from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) that no such clearance was necessary.
On Friday, AAP leader Ramrao Wagh who was part of the agitation against the project demanded that the State government come clean on its stand.
“The local fishing community in and around Nauxim is against this proposal. The government is attempting to push it forcibly against their wishes,” Wagh alleged.
He also urged all to unite and agitate against the project and suggested that St Andre MLA, Viresh Borkar lead it.
The Congress meanwhile also expressed its strong opposition to the project. Congress leader Variato Fernandes said the project will affect traditional fishermen living in the area and threatened an agitation. “We (Goa Congress) guarantees we will be with villagers of Naushim opposing the marina project," Fernandes said.
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry during its meeting held on October 5 has resolved that the “project does not come under the ambit of EIA notification 2006 as amended and does not require EC at the Ministry”.
The AHOY Marina was proposed by Kargwal Constructions Pvt Ltd on a land-water area spread across about one-lakh square meters along the northern bank of the Zuari river, including land of about 50,000 sq mts.
It was strongly opposed by the villagers, mostly traditional fishermen, from Nauxim and surrounding villages in St Andre constituency.
