PANAJI
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar on Sunday labeled the petition of Goa government before the National Green Tribunal on Mhadei issue as a ‘wrong move’ and said the State should have instead laid more emphasis on development of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
Speaking at the two-day 21st Goa Yuva Mahostav organised by the Konkani Bhasha Mandal at Dayanand Bandodkar Ground, Campal, Panaji, Kerkar stated, “Moving to the Tribunal was a wrong move. Goa government should have laid more emphasis on Mhadei wildlife sanctuary as it is the best way in which Goa government could have protected it.”
Kerkar opined that the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary prevented the Karnataka government from going ahead with the Kalsa Bhandura and Haltara projects. He insisted that the protection of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary will eventually help in securing the interest of the State in long run.
He expressed worry over the ruling of the NGT and said that if the NGT order directs diversion of a few thousand million cubic (TMC) feet of water, it will spell a big loss for Goa. “Therefore I oppose this move by the government,” he maintained.
He urged the students and the teachers at the youth festival to be more sensitive and create awareness about the geographic layout of the State.
