MARGAO
Thousands of people from across Goa gathered at the historic Lohia Maidan on Sunday evening and took a solemn vow not to rest until the government stops coal handling at the Mormugao Port and halts coal transportation through the State.
Hands were raised in unity as participants endorsed a series of resolutions adopted at the massive public awareness meeting. Citizens pledged to continue their protests in every possible form and forum, spread awareness, and persist in their struggle until the people’s demands are met.
The people demanded that the government immediately scrap the double tracking project on the South Western Railway and return the acquired land to the people of Goa. While further demanding the scraping of all port expansion projects at the MPT, the people in one voice demanded that the Mormugao port be used only for green cargo.
Another resolution adopted at the meeting was the scrapping of the controversial Sagarmala Master plan for the Mormugao port. The people demanded that the local communities retain the autonomy over the state’s rivers, coasts and lands.
Demanding the removal of the state’s rivers and coasts from the National Waterways Act, 2016 and from Port Limits, the meeting unanimously adopted a resolution demanding the scrapping of all proposals for capital dredging and new jetties.
While reiterating its demand for the scrapping of the new High Level Borim bridge, the meeting adopted another resolution to scrap all expansion proposals for the NH-17N and NH-4A and other roads for coal transportation.
A resolution was adopted to demand scrapping all steel plants in Goa and related proposals for Bandharas and dams.
In his power point presentation, environmental activist and Co-convenor of Goyant Kollso Naka Abhijit Prabhudesai warned that the Coal Master plan has proposed to increase coal handling to a staggering 137 million every year. He charged the Goa government for yielding to the Centre’s pressure to allow the coal related infrastructure in the state. “As per the Sagarmala project, the government has drawn up plans to increase the coal handling capacity and transportation by three times.
“The plan is to handle coal at the MPT from the Kharewaddo and Baina beach belt. The rest of the coal will be transported via the rivers and by road transport”, he said.
Saying the Centre had started the dredging activity at MPT way back in 2016 with plans to augment coal handling, Abhijit said the plan was halted after the fishermen approached the National Green Tribunal. He said the National highways are designed in the state to accommodate coal trucks with 100 ton capacity.
“First, the Goa government handed over control of our rivers to the centre even as the Kerala government refused to give their rivers. The entire purpose of taking control over the rivers is to pave way for transportation of coal via the rivers”, he added.
Taking a dig at the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for going back on his promise made to children that the government would reduce coal handling at the MPT, Abhijit said “on the contrary, the government has given the go-ahead to a company to handle coal from seven million to 14 million”.
He said the diversion of Mhadei river to Karnataka is also related to coal, with the Karnataka government planning to build a 300-km steel corridor along the Hubli belt.
“People have time to time halted government’s plans to convert Goa into a coal hub. But recent developments indicates the government is slowly, but definitely moving towards achieving the objective. The government has plans to expedite the plan in full speed. The people have to act now, if there is a delay the agitation in the future will not have any impact”, he warned.
