MAPUSA
In a bid to address escalating environmental concerns, the acting chairman of the Calangute Biodiversity Management Committee, Premanand Diukar, has called for curbing of unauthorised activities along the banks of the Baga River, which have inflicted irreparable damage to its delicate ecosystem.
Expressing grave concern over ongoing land filling, sewage water release, and mangrove destruction along the banks of the Baga river, Diukar highlighted the national small river’s ecological and cultural significance.
He said the rampant unauthorised construction activities have led to indiscriminate waste dumping, exacerbating the degradation of the river’s ecosystem.
“Mangrove forests lining the riverbanks serve as vital habitats for diverse flora and fauna, crucial for maintaining ecological balance. Additionally, the river sustains a rich biodiversity of aquatic life, including endangered species dependent on its waters for survival,” Diukar said, in a letter to the chairman of the Goa State Pollution Control Board and other relevant authorities making a fervent appeal to halt the destruction of the river.
The call to action urges immediate cessation of all further land filling and illegal construction activities along the riverbanks.
Emphasis is placed on enforcing strict regulations and penalties to hold accountable those responsible for the destruction of Baga river’s biodiversity.
Notably, a joint site inspection of the river was proposed following a resolution passed by the Gram Sabha, prompted by findings from a pollution control board report in 2019.
According to the acting chairman of the biodiversity committee, the escalating pollution due to unauthorised activities necessitates urgent intervention to protect the river and village ecosystem.
