MARGAO
Even as the controversial double-tracking is back on the centre stage following the Supreme Court’s verdict, villagers of Chandor and Guirdolim have a question or two for the railways – why have the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) laid as many as four tracks in the village when the project envisaged 'double-tracking'?
The Goan posed this question to RVNL General Manager, Project, DC Sahoo, and he was quick to reply that the railways have laid only two tracks, while the remaining two tracks are loop lines. He went on to say that loop lines are laid at any railway station and that Chandor is not an exception.
Villagers, however, have raised eyebrows over the laying of the four tracks at Chandor. Chairperson of the Guirdolim Bio-diversity Management Committee and former Sarpanch Agostinho Antao says there’s something fishy over the railways laying four tracks at the Chandor-Guirdolim stretch of the South Western Railway (SWR). He said one track, which is under construction extends right towards the Kushawati riverside.
“When the RVNL has come up with the double-tracking project, we have found the railways laying as many as four tracks around the railway station. This has only raised eyebrows amongst the villagers whether the railways have any hidden agenda they want to put in place after the laying of the tracks”, Antao said.
He added: “Our fears emanate from the fact that the railway tracks are laid close to the Kushavati river and whether they would be put to use other than passenger service, including coal handling”.
Antao pointed out that the laying of the four tracks has further raised questions about whether plans are afoot to make Chandor-Guirdolim a major terminus or junction in the future.
Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd officials, however, maintained that the role of the RVNL is to only lay the railway infrastructure, adding that the issue on the use of the infrastructure rest with the South Western Railway.
Incidentally, after the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety had given its nod to the commissioning of the double track on the SWR, trains have already started running on the newly-laid tracks along the Chandor-Guirdolim stretch of the project.
When will restoration of damaged water bodies, sluice gates begin?
MARGAO
When will the authorities restore the water bodies and the sluice gates damaged and devastated by the track doubling project in Chandor and Guirdolim?
Even as there’s rejoicing over the Supreme Court verdict on the track doubling project, residents of the two villages wonder when exactly the work on restoration and improvement of water nullahs will commence in the village with the monsoons around the corner.
For, the Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) had promised to undertake the work of restoration of the water bodies and improvement of the nullahs, besides shifting a sluice gate near the new tracks laid by the railways, through the Water Resources Department.
When The Goan called up the WRD officials to shed light on the status of the work, a senior official informed us that a tender has been floated by the agency. The official added that the initial tender floated for the proposed work was to the tune of Rs 2.98 crore. The work includes the improvement of waterways of the nullahs, both upstream and downstream of the Nacazana lake on both sides of the railway station, besides the construction of the sluice gates in Guirdolim and Chandor.
However, since the railways have later agreed to the request of the villagers on shifting of a sluice gate, the cost of the restoration work has now come down to around Rs 2.84 crore.
Chairperson of the Guirdolim village bio-diversity Management Committee, Agostinho Antao has lamented that work on the repair and restoration of the Zuari tributary river sluice gate has not yet started.
While the railways have taken up the work on the retaining wall, Antao said no work has started yet on the sluice gate.
Portion of SC verdict giving railways a chance to reapply wasn't required: GE
MARGAO
Goencho Ekvott has said it respects the Supreme Court judgement, giving a chance to the railways to reapply for the double-tracking project, but has questioned how the railways can get the clearance when the grounds on which the permission granted by the National Wildlife Board stands cancelled and the conditions on the ground remain the same.
The organization, which spearheaded the agitation against the three linear projects along with other organizations, has demanded immediate withdrawal of the criminal cases foisted on the activists. Capt Viriato Fernandes said the Supreme Court verdict itself is a justification that the people were fighting on the ground to protect the state from destruction.
Goencho Ekvott has vowed to continue their fight and remain alert, saying the future battle will be much bigger since the government tried to bulldoze the projects through the backdoor during the Covid pandemic.
“We feel that the portion of the verdict giving the railways to reapply for permission was not required. But, we respect the Judgement. Maybe in their wisdom, the court has given the railways the chance to reapply, but we will fight the battle. If today they are saying the National Wildlife Board clearance is cancelled, then on what basis they can reapply, when the conditions remain the same”, Viriato said.
Saying the battle against forcible acquisition of land for the track doubling project will continue, Viriato assured that anti-coal and anti-track doubling activists will support the landowners 24x7 to foil attempts to acquire the land forcibly.
He also directed his ire at Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, terming his statement that delay in implementing the track doubling project would result in cost escalation as immature.
“We appeal to the government to withdraw the criminal cases immediately. The verdict itself is a justification for what we were trying to say that we were fighting for the State. These cases were filed against the activists to pressurize and prevent them from opposing destructive projects”, he added.
Praising the people of Goa for wholeheartedly participating in the agitation, Viriato said, “What gave us the boost to move forward and hold awareness meetings at 84 places was the tremendous response from the people of Goa, especially the youth who took up the leadership to save their State from destruction”.
Shripad urged to speak up for Goa
MARGAO
A day after the Supreme Court verdict vindicated the stand of the activists waging a battle against the double-tracking project, Goencho Ekvott leaders have urged Union Minister of State for Ports Shripad Naik to speak up for Goa and not be a rubber stamp of the government.
Orville Dourado told the media that Shripad should play his due role given that he hails from the State. “The Minister should speak up for Goa and should not be a rubber stamp for the government", he said.
Another Goencho Ekvott leader Olencio Simoes also echoed similar sentiments. He has requested the Union Minister to protect Goa’s ecology and its fragile environment and urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to scrap the project.
He said Shripad Naik should tell the Union Minister for Surface Transport that the Sagarmala project is not feasible in Goa given the State’s fragile ecology and environment.
“Shripad should play his role. The Mormugao Port Trust has now been made an Authority. The rivers are being nationalized, the CRZ has been diluted to give the Goan land to the crony capitalists”, he said, warning the government to withdraw the project or else the people of Goa will take a decision.
“The government had drawn up a plan to increase coal handling at MPT to 136 million tons a year, which would have destroyed the beauty and environment of Goa”, he added.
Social activist Ella Mascarenhas said the people of Goa are thrilled over the Supreme Court judgement. She said the project would have caused irreversible damage to the fragile ecology of the western ghats. The project would have also destroyed the heritage, bio-diversity and houses of people inhabiting Cansaulim, Arossim”, she added.
Another Vasco-based activist Jayesh Shetgaonkar said the Apex Court judgement is a victory for the youth of Goa and a tight slap for the Goa government for ignoring the appeals and requests of the people, especially the youth.
Vasco-based activist Shankar Polgi complimented the people of Goa for unitedly participating in the agitation to save their State and its environment.
Meanwhile, Orville remembered Julio Aguiar for uniting the people from the east and west of Goa in the fight against the track doubling project and to save Mollem.
AAP demands scrapping of project entirely
PANAJI
The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday demanded the scrapping of the double-track project entirely and requested that the Supreme Court should inspect the project route that passes through the villages of South Goa.
While addressing a press conference, AAP leader and former minister MLA Alina Saldanha welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict to cancel the environmental approvals granted to South Western Railway for the Castlerock-Kulem double-tracking project.
Saldanha said, "Now the question arises about the impact of the SWR double-track project that passes through the villages of South Goa. What effect will the route have on the people who live there? What effect will it have on the environment in which the people of South Goa live?"
AAP Vice President Valmiki Naik praised the youths for fighting for the cause and making it a national issue.
