Denotify national waterways, demands Niz Goenkar front

the goan I network
VASCO

Addressing a news conference at Vasco on Wednesday, Niz Goenkar Revolutionary Front president Sanjay Redkar said the livelihoods of traditional fishermen and farmers of Goa who depend on rivers and wetlands are endangered.
"Goa's rivers are being used for shipping and navigation for decades to the maximum limits. The declaration of our rivers as national waterways will only increase transportation of bulk cargo. The rivers will be dredged and jetties and storage yards will be built across the rivers. The road and rail lines will pass through the village and endanger the livelihoods of our traditional fishermen and farmers," said Redkar.
"This act gives the Central authority to acquire, develop and utilise the adjoining river land and our rights over our rivers are being sold through back door to industrial corporate lobby," stated Redkar.
He further said the Central authority shall have the powers to enter upon any land for inspection, survey, measurements, valuation or inquiry and remove any obstruction and hindrance and the Act does not mention if fishing nets, ‘koblim', ‘manus', ‘katalim' and ‘futanim' used by traditional fishermen will be termed as hinderance.
"Our government should be pro people and working in larger interests of Goan population rather than a few corporate lobby. We on behalf of people of Goa demand the government to denotify our rivers from national waterways as it does not benefit the Goans, but will only displace lakhs of Goan brothers and sisters and destroy Goa permanently," said Redkar.