PANAJI
In a major move, Goa government has directed the Forest Department to identify isolated hamlets/human habitations residing in protected areas but deprived of civic amenities, for “voluntary rehabilitation” by “surrendering their rights or claims” on the sanctuary or national park area.
During the recently held Goa State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) meeting, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane expressed the government’s intention to relocate all such human habitation outside the wildlife sanctuaries and the national park. However, the relocation should be voluntary and dwellers must relinquish their claims/rights on such protected areas.
According to the minutes of the meeting, Sawant, who is also the chairman of the SWBL, desired that the Forest Department should identify isolated hamlets or habitations of people residing in protected areas which are deprived of civic amenities like electricity and connections, road connectivity, etc so that those habitations can be shifted outside the protected areas on the revenue land, where all such amenities can be provided to them.
“He (CM) further desired that the Forest Department along with the Revenue Department should make all out efforts to shift such habitations outside the protected areas provided the people residing there desire to shift voluntarily and relinquish their claims or rights on such protected areas,” the minutes stated.
Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane was too in sync with the views of the Chief Minister while stressing that the rehabilitation has to be “voluntary”.
“The Forest Minister and Vice Chairperson of the Board also desired that small hamlets/habitations located in the remote corners of the sanctuaries or national park, where basic facilities are not available should be relocated outside the protected areas in the revenue lands provided that the inhabitants agree to such relocation voluntarily,” the minutes added.
The issue came up during the discussion on the proposal moved by the Electricity Department seeking clearance for work of electrifications of left out wads at Keri in Cotigao wildlife sanctuary. The proposal is to lay underground cabling covering a distance of 5.7 kms for which 0.342 ha of forest diversion is required.
As such, the Chief Minister directed the department to ensure that the underground cables are laid in a utility duct on the side of the road so that if any pipeline, cable, etc needs to be laid in future then the further digging of the soil is avoided.
