Protesters while addressing a news conference at Mirabag-Sanvordem.
SANGUEM
The ongoing dharna against the bandhara at Mirabag-Sanvordem has entered its forty-fifth day, with protesters vowing to continue their agitation until the government issues a written confirmation scrapping the project.
The agitators have now set a two-day deadline for the government to issue a written assurance, warning that a ‘Chalo Azad Maidan’ protest will be launched on Monday if their demand is not met.
Stating this at a news conference, Sanket Bhandari stated that the government would be held responsible for any consequences arising thereafter.
The agitators claimed the government has offered only verbal assurances, with no concrete outcome. Citing past experiences where verbal promises failed to materialise, the protesters have made it clear that they will not withdraw the agitation without a written commitment.
Addressing the gathering, former minister Deepak Pauskar remarked that elected representatives had earlier assured that the project would not proceed if it faced public opposition.
However, he noted that for the past forty-five days, people have been left to protest on the streets, pushing their patience to the limit.
He also criticised the Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar for raising fears of water scarcity and suggested that instead of pushing for the bandhara, the government should focus on desilting the reservoirs to enhance water storage.
Pradeep Kakodkar expressed disappointment that no government representative had visited the affected villagers during the entire period of agitation. He accused the government of prioritising the Rs 400 crore project despite the availability of alternative water solutions, and urged authorities to issue a written order cancelling the bhandara within two days to avoid escalation of the protest.
Olancio Simoes claimed that the bandhara is linked to the Sagarmala project and could be used for coal transportation and sand extraction. He warned that the project would harm biodiversity and aquatic life while offering no real benefit to the local population, and called on people across Goa to support the residents of Mirabag.
Other speakers, including Upendra Naik, Appa Naik, Vishwanath Narvekar, Rupesh Baba and Santosh Gaonkar, also voiced their concerns, cautioning that failure to provide a written assurance would inevitably intensify the agitation.
