PANAJI
Down but we aren’t out was a subtle message sent out by young Goans fighting to save Mollem when they boldly wrote to Chief Justice of India, S A Bobde and his brother judges to #SaveMollem.
Dozens of Goa’s youth who have for months agitated but failed to achieve much success with the legislature and executive to leave Mollem National Park and the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary untouched by the three projects seem to be now pinning their hopes on the third pillar -- Judiciary.
In a letter dozens of Goa’s youth associated with the #Saveurged Justice Bobde and several other jurists to protect Goa’s “precious wildlife ecosystems”, especially at Mollem National Park and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary.
In a letter penned to Justice Bobde and the other jurists who were in Goa on Saturday to inaugurate the new building premises at Porvorim of the Bombay High Court at Goa, the youth claimed these two protected forests are threatened by the three linear projects -- highway expansion, railway double-tracking and and a private power transmission project.
“We have come as far as we can and will continue to do whatever is possible to protect our heritage, but today we need the support of those who understand the immeasurable and irreplaceable value of our precious wild ecosystems. We hope you will recognise the urgency driving our letter, and do what you can to make sure that Goa’s identity and future remain secure at this very critical juncture,” the youth linked to the #SaveMollem movement said in their letter to Bobde.
Bobde and several other Bombay High Court judges were in Goa on Saturday to inaugurate the Goa Bench’s new building premises at Porvorim.
“Our Constitution has enabled us to continue protecting our natural heritage, and further, 240 square kilometres have been accorded special protected status under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. The Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park and the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary together form the largest protected area of our beautiful State,” the #SaveMollem associated youth further said in their letter.
“We, Goa’s youth, are worried by the threats that the three destructive linear infrastructure projects pose to the future of our forests and by extension, our State. The projects’ managers have applied to cut 38,724 trees, which will lead to severe fragmentation in the National Park and Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary,” the letter says.
