MARGAO
An awareness program held at the Benaulim Panchayat hall on Saturday opposed the privatization of the six Goan rivers, besides coal transportation, MPT expansion and
railway track doubling project, even as local Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao vowed to fight along side the people of Benaulim to save River Sal from proposed privatization.
A power point presentation was arranged for the Benaulim villagers by the social activists as part of the ongoing campaign to spread awareness amongst the people at the village-level against the dangers of the privatisation of the river, dredging the rivers for coal transportation and other issues such as double tracking of the railway line and expansion of the highways.
Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao, who turned up for the meeting, assured the villages that he would fight alongside the people to ensure that the river Sal remains with the villagers, saying the privatization is 0being mooted for the benefit of big industrialists such as the Adani's and others.
When the participants urged him to fight to save all the six Goan rivers,
Churchill shot back saying all the rivers can be saved if the people come out and join the battle. Former Benaulim Sarpanch Royla Fernandes appreciated the move of the Benaulim sarpanch Diella Pereira for holding the awareness meeting, but said the time has come to hold ward wise meetings to spread awareness on the government's plan at the grass-roots.
Speaking on the occasion, Rupesh Shinkre said transportation of coal via the railways and waterways will spell doom for the people of Goa as he raised apprehension over large scale air pollution.
"People living around 10 kms away from the railway line will be affected by pollution on account of transportation of coal. So will be the case of people inhabiting the banks of the rivers," he cautioned.
Others speakers expressed fears that dredging of the rivers will spell doom for the river fish, includingshell fish, besides the traditional fishermen eking a living on the river fish.
