MARGAO
Even as the Captain of Ports is bracing up to desilt the river Sal, the AVCB Traditional Fishermen Association has dashed off a letter to the government, demanding written assurances on the host of assurances laid down by the panel before undertaken any river desilting work.
As the desilting vessels and machinery lay anchored in the river near the Orlim bridge, ostensibly to start the river desilting exercise, the AVCB Traditional Fishermen Association drew attention of the Captain of Ports that his office is yet to give written assurances on the conditions set for the river desilting. In fact, Association president, Agostinho Furtado pointed out that Minister for Ports, Michael Lobo had given clear assurances during the joint meeting of the stakeholders and Fisheries Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues that the Captain of Ports will give written assurances for each of the essential conditions listed in the memorandum.
The traditional fishermen had set a host of conditions for the Captain of Ports, including the condition that the government should not undertake capital dredging of the river and the river should not be used for coal handling, or casino, marinas and other tourism activities along the entire length of the river, before any desilting takes place in the river.
While opposing capital dredging of the river, the Association pointed out that it is essential to remove the silt, dirt and pollutants that have been released in the river due to urbanisation, industrialisation, land use changes and human activities in the watershed of the river.
At the same time, the Association pointed out that the EIA Notification 2006 does not allow capital dredging without first obtaining an Environmental Clearance. While supporting the restrictions on capital dredging of rivers, the fishermen insisted that the fish and shell fish breeding areas, fishing areas and fisheries are not destroyed, as will be the case if any capital dredging is carried out.
A member of the Association Cruz Silva pointed out that the written assurances have become all the more important for the reason that the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) prepared by the government has marked river Sal as “Port Limits”.
“The fishermen had raised their concerns when the Captain of Ports had set about desilting the river Sal as fears were expressed that the river may be used for coal transportation. While the government had tried to allay the apprehensions, the CZMP plan has only brought fore the concerns as the river is marked on the CZMP as Port Limits,” Cruz said.
He further pointed out that fishermen are worried about the whole plan since the CZMP has made no mention of the fishing stakes marked in the river.
“The fishermen are indeed apprehensive about the whole issue. In the fitness of things, the government should give us the written assurances on our concerns before proceeding to take up the desilting work,” he added.
