MARGAO
Chants centered on “Chalo Sanquelim to Save Mhadei and Save Goa ” reverberated around Saxtti countryside on Sunday as NGOs, activists and political parties, MLAs and village Sarpanchas descended on the ground to mobilize people for the rally at Sanquelim on Monday evening.
If Aam Admi Party Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas got the Sarpanchas from Benaulim Constituency on one platform to give a call to Benaulikars to join the Save Mhadei rally at Sanquelim, the Goemkar Ghor, the headquarters of Goa Forward party bustled with activity on Sunday as party Chief and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai went into a huddle with party workers to put in place arrangements for tomorrow’s rally.
The civil society and activists also hit the ground through appeals and poetry to spread awareness amongst the people and ensure they all join the Monday rally. A group of fishermen took to the river Sal to spread awareness to protect Mhadei and to join the Monday rally.
Congress leaders from Saxtti including district president Savio D’Silva, Moreno Rebello and others headed to Sattari on Sunday in support of the Save Mhadei campaign.
As the rally is scheduled on Monday at 4.30 pm, buses have been arranged from Saxtti villages to ferry the people to Sanquelim. In fact, one bus each will be leaving from the seven villages dotting Saxtti coastal belt, from Cavelosism, Carmona, Orlim, Varca, Benaulim and Colva at 2.30 pm.
The village Sarpanchas of Cavelossim, Dixon Vaz, Dy Sarpanch Neslyn George (Carmona), Simon Pereira (Orlim), Salesiana Fernandes (Varca), Xavier Pereira (Benaulim) and Suzie Fernandes (Colva) shared the platform with the Benaulim MLA Venzy at a media briefing as they pledged to mobilize the people for the Save Mhadei rally.
“We have all come together to unitedly join the battle to save Mhadei. The message from Benaullim is very clear that it is high time that people of Goa should leave aside their differences to Save Mhadei”, Venzy told the media.
All the Sarpanchas gave a call in one voice to lend their support for the Save Mhadei rally and to send a clear message to the BJP-ruled Centre to revoke the DPR given to Karnataka to build dams at Khalasa and Bandura.
Cavelosism Sarpanch Dixon said the main agenda before the people of Goa is to save Mhadei. “By now, everybody is aware of the consequences if the Mhadei river water is diverted since it would affect entire Goa”, he said, while making a plea that at least one person from each house should join the rally.
Benaulim Sarpanch Xavier Pereira reminded that Mhadei is the lifeline of Goa and any diversion of the river will have disastrous consequence in the state. He said a bus will leave from Voltar, Maria hall and near the Patroncina chapel at 2.30 pm on Monday.
Saying that NGOs and activists are on the ground to save Mhadei, Colva Sarpanch Suzie Fernandes appeal to the people of Goa to come out in large numbers for the rally. The bus will leave for Sanquelim from Colva near the Colva Church at 2.30 pm.
MLA Venzy told the media that the coming together of the village Sarpanchas from the constituency shows that Benaulim has taken the lead to join the save Goa Save Mhadei campaign.
The Benaulim MLA expressed fears that the Mandovi will run dry one day if the people do not exert pressure on the BJP government ruling at the centre to withdraw the DPR.
