PANAJI
Members of the high-powered Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court descended at Mollem on Thursday and visited sites at ground zero pertaining to two of the three linear projects said to be threatening protected forests there.
The CEC headed by former Environment Secretary PV Jayakrishnan, who also served as Goa Chief Secretary in the early nineties, inspected some of the sites in the protected forests through which the project to expand the National Highway NH4A cuts through.
Officials of the Goa forest department and also MORTH were also present and were seen clarifying details of the projects to Jayakrishnan and other CEC members.
The CEC also inspected sites related to the Tamnar power project promoted by Vedanta owned Sterlite Power.
On Friday, Jayakrishnan and his CEC co-members, are expected to inspect sites in the protected forests related to the double tracking project of the South Western Railways.
Civil Society and a wide spectrum of Goa's political ecosystem have been vehemently opposing the three projects on primarily two major counts: one that the irreversible damage to wildlife habitats innthe Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife sanctuary and the revered Mollem National Park is unquantifiable and too heavy a price to pay. And two, the projects are clandestinely being promoted to convert Goa into a transportation corridor for coal imported through the Mormugao port for steel and power plants in North Karnataka.
Meanwhile, youth and students who have spurred the protests against the projects over several months are hoping to earn an audience with Jayakrishnan and the other members of the CEC to present a written representation opposing the projects.
Also, some members of the State Wildlife Board, who had earlier represented with the State Government citing their objections to the inadequate deliberations on the project, are also expected to meet the CEC and give a representation.
