the goan I network
OLD GOA
“The lake is shaped in the form of a dove and this dove is calling all souls of the village to save it,” he stated.
Speaking at a largely attended meeting organized by Calapur Plus under the leadership of Arturo D’Souza on Wednesday evening, Kamat highlighted the importance of the lake and said the people have to fight to save the heritage of the village.
Kamat further informed that a project of Rs 4,500 crore, involving 200 hectares area, is being planned which stretches from Taleigao to Bondovall lake in Santa Cruz, which will spell doom for the lake.
“All deals have been done, everybody has been bought,” alleged Kamat and advised the villagers to approach the Governor along with a delegation and apprise her of the destruction that is done near the lake.
Kamat also had advice for the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai who has expressed his wish to celebrate golden jubilee of Opinion Poll all over Goa. “Sardesai should start the celebration by stopping the destruction around the Bondovall lake,” he thundered, while stating that it should also be made a major issue in the forthcoming panchayat elections.
Stating that water is a gift by God, historian Sanjeev Sardessai said Bondovall Lake is a matter of life and death and more people should come forward to save it.
“Younger generation needs to get fired up for such causes,” Sardessai appealed and questioned why people are shying away from participating in these types of agitations. “If you remain silent now, you will cry later,” he added.
Earlier, Arturo D’Souza apprised the gathering about the rampant destruction going on in the buffer zone of the Bondavall Lake, which has been declared as a heritage area in the RP 2021.
“Gazetted notification states that the lake is a public utility project and no individual can claim ownership of the entire lake,” D’Souza said while pointing out that a tenant, who owns only 550 sqmts, is doing just that.
D’Souza further informed, with the help of a slideshow, how a builder has rampantly undertaken destruction of trees and hills near the lake, during the time of assembly elections.
“Our pleas to the TCP department, forest department and various other authorities have fallen on deaf ears,” he alleged while stating that it shows that the builder has political clout.
Parish priest of Santa Cruz Fr Alexander Pereira, Fr Victor Ferrao of Rachol Seminary, Xaveir Almeida, Mathias Vaz and others spoke at the meeting, which was attended by a large number of locals from Santa Cruz, Merces and neighbouring villages.
