MARGAO
With another fishing vessel grounded at the mouth of River Sal due to the hostile navigation issues, Velim MLA Cruz Silva has dashed off a letter to the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Fisheries Minister Nilkanth Harlankar to call an urgent meeting of the stakeholders to address the issue.
Expressing concern over Thursday’s incident of a fishing vessel that ran aground at the mouth of River Sal, the Velim MLA said this marks the second such occurrence in recent weeks, underscoring the persistent and dangerous navigation conditions that continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of our fishermen.
“Despite repeated appeals over the years, the long-pending construction of a training wall at the river mouth remains stalled due to delays in obtaining Environmental Clearance by the Fisheries Department. While the National Green Tribunal has already granted conditional approval, the lack of progress has left our community vulnerable to recurring accidents,” he said.
In this respect, the Velim MLA has called for an urgent meeting to review the current navigation issues and the status of the training wall project and to initiate immediate safety measures, including measures to provide a smooth navigation channel at the river Sal mouth.
Saying the Cutbona fishing jetty is a vital economic and cultural hub for South Goa’s coastal population, the Velim MLA said, “We cannot afford to wait for a tragedy to occur at the River Sal mouth. The government should treat this matter with urgency it deserves and demonstrate government’s commitment to safety and dignity of our fishermen.”
