MARGAO
A new fishing season will kick-start a month from now on August 1, but the perennial issue of hostile navigation at the mouth of river Sal has come back to haunt the mechanized boat owners operating from the Cutbona and Betul fishing jetties.
For, neither is the river mouth dredged nor has the ambitious project of building a training wall at the mouth of river Sal to ensure smooth navigation for the fishing boats, has seen the light of the day.
Boat owners operating from Betul and Cutbona say that though the fishing season officially starts from August 1, the small boat owners begin their season around August-end or in September because of the hostile navigational issues at the river Sal mouth.
Traditional fisherman Pandari Kerkar was categorical in saying that unless the government works out a solution to tide over the navigational issues at the mouth of river Sal, the commencement of fishing on August 1 has no meaning for the boat owners, especially the traditional fishermen operating the small fishing boats.
“The river Sal mouth is an issue that has remained unresolved over the years. The government should intervene and resolve the issues raised by the courts and ensure smooth navigation at the river mouth,” Kerkar said.
Former president of the Cutbona Boat Owners Union, Patrick D’Silva said that the issues plaguing the mouth of the river Sal has remained resolved to date. "We have seen fishing boats breaking into pieces at the river Sal mouth due to the hostile navigation channel. The issue needs to be addressed on a war footing”.
He added: “Many a time, fishing boats have to wait for the conducive weather conditions before sailing into the sea. There are instances wherein fishing boats cannot return to the jetty and are stranded in the sea with the catch because of the navigation issues at the river mouth.”
Chairman of Cutbona fisheries society, Vinay Tari was vocal in saying that the issue has been on the back burner for some time now, hoping the government will address it at the earliest.
“Fishing boats operating from Cutbona and Betul jetties cannot go out for fishing in August because of the river Sal mouth. We have been knocking on the doors of successive governments to resolve the issue, but in vain,” Tari added.
Boat owner Kennedy Alemao echoed similar sentiments. He demanded that the government take serious note of the grievances of the boat owners and work out a permanent solution at the river mouth.
Another boat owner Savio D’Silva pointed out that small boats operated by traditional fishermen are stranded in the river Sal for days together due to rough navigation conditions at the river Sal.
Proposed training wall at mouth of river Sal hangs in balance
THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
The fate of the proposed training wall at the river Sal mouth intended to ensure a smooth navigational channel for the fishing boats hangs in balance.
For, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Fisheries department to first obtain the Environment Clearance (EC) for the training wall project before taking up the construction work.
The issue had landed in the NGT after the Cavelossim villagers' forum president Adv Iris Passainha had knocked on the doors of the Tribunal as the Fisheries department started work on the training wall project without an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report and Environment Clearance.
While disposing of the petition, the NGT had issued clear directions to the government to first obtain the Environment Clearance (EC) before undertaking the project.
Says Adv Iris: “There was no environment clearance for the execution of the 483-metre training wall at the mouth of the river Sal and extending into the Arabian sea. The forum was forced to approach the NGT since there was no EC from the Ministry of Forests & Environment or the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA)”.
He added: “Training walls have been of severe negative impact on the environment including accretion of sand on the up-drifts side with a consequent erosion of sand on the downdrift side. There have always been chronic sand erosions wherever training walls are constructed. Such projects need a detailed environment impact assessment study before they are implemented.”
Training wall project to be executed
after obtaining EC: Fisheries director
MARGAO
Director of Fisheries Shamila Monteiro has said that the river Sal training wall project has not been scrapped, but will be executed at the river Sal mouth after obtaining the Environment Clearance.
The Fisheries Director told The Goan that the Fisheries department has already approached an agency with a plea to conduct the environmental study on the project.
“After obtaining the Environment Clearance as per the National Green Tribunal order, the Fisheries Department will take up the river Sal mouth training project,” Monteiro added.
Over half a decade ago, the Fisheries Department had taken up the work of the river Sal training wall project by dumping construction material on the Cavelossim beach by building a road on the beach. This was strongly objected to by the locals under the banner of the Cavelossim Villagers Forum, who had insisted that the road was built on the beach in violation of the CRZ norms in force.
