MARGAO
Rejecting all mitigation measures and other compromises on the three linear projects, Goyant Kollso Naka on Saturday declared that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the Goa Government must not just bow down before the people, but must also open their eyes to the reality of climate crisis and the survival of the future generations and the tiny State of Goa.
GKN has warned that people of Goa will be forced to resort to civil disobedience movement in the event the government is hell-bent in going ahead with the three controversial linear projects.
“Not just these three projects, but also coal transportation through Goa and coal handling at MPT must be stopped completely. The way forward is to restore our agriculture, forests and fisheries and make an Atmanirbhar Bharat through the development of our local communities, traditional economies and self-reliant villages, and the time is already running out for all of us,” declared GKN Co-convenor Abhijit Prabhudesai.
At a media briefing here on Saturday, Abhijit demanded that the CEC reject all the three infrastructure projects and further called upon the State government to stop coal transportation.
GKN expressed shock that the CEC seems to be only considering saving a few old trees the overwhelming evidence placed before it regarding the complete absence of public interest, and the massive destruction of the environment, economies and society due to the three infrastructure projects through the protected areas of the Western Ghats.
Deepika D’Souza pointed out that GKN had written to the CEC on 22nd August 2020 explaining in great detail all the reasons why the three projects must be rejected. “GKN had also written to CEC on 11th January 2021 requesting for an opportunity to be present during the inspections and to meet the members of the CEC, but we have not even received any response,” she lamented.
GKN reminded the CEC of the irrefutable evidence submitted proving that the double-tracking and four-laning projects are only for Jindal, Adani and Vedanta to increase coal transportation through Goa for private profit.
“The CEC is duty-bound to reject all the three proposals outright just on these bases, without even having to consider the disastrous fragmentation of the Western Ghats three times over and the resultant accelerated extinction of species, collapse of the ecology and biodiversity, and global warming. The CEC must also consider the fact that there is very little traffic on the three existing three roads from Goa across the Western Ghats. The fraudulent fragmentation of each project into small bits to hide the impact and the failure to consider the cumulative impact of the three projects are also major violations that demand the projects be rejected,” demanded Abhijit.
Saying the three linear projects are only for the short-term greed of a few corporates, Diana Tavares said the survival of children is at stake since once this infrastructure is in place, nothing can stop Goa from becoming a coal hub and other insidious plans of the anti-people government.
“The people of Goa have rejected these projects and the evidence is the mass protests from July 2020 till date. More than 100 of Goa’s 189 panchayats have resolved to oppose coal transportation through Goa. Not just Goa, but Karnataka has also opposed these projects, though the people of that state have also not been taken into confidence,” she said.
