the goan I network
MARGAO
The Sanguem-Cotarli-Nagvem IIT Virodhi Samiti has on Wednesday vowed to oppose the IIT project proposed in Cotarli village tooth and nail and has appealed to the political parties, NGOs like Goencho Avaz, environmentalist such as Rajendra Kerkar, Claude Alvares, Adv Norma Alvares to extend support to the cause of protecting their environment and agricultural land.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Samiti Convenor Constancio Mascarenhas said the villagers strongly oppose the location of IIT project in Cotarli to protect their environment, wildlife, forest and agricultural land.
Saying that lakhs of tress will be cut down to make way for the IIT project, he said the farmers will have no option but to start Chipko movement to protect the trees.
He warned that if proper action is not taken on their demand for the scrapping of the IIT project, the villagers will be compelled to file a writ petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
Asserting that the villagers object to the statement of former MP Narendra Sawaikar, he said the former MP ought to have some respect for the environment and the mountain, which people worshipped and preserved by their
forefathers.
“The mountain doesn’t belong to the government but it belongs to the people who have done cultivation on it by planting cashew saplings and other trees. Also, there are people living at the bottom of the mountain, especially ‘Dhangars’, who use the mountain to graze their cattle. There are also medicinal plants on it,” he said, adding that Sawaikar without seeing the site for the proposed project, should not have issued irresponsible statement.
“If Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar proceeds with the project, we all people of Sanguem will oppose it tooth and nail by starting an agitation,” he warned.
Meanwhile, the villagers said the Gaonkars of the locality have decided to put a ‘gharanne’ to the local deity named Paikdev against the people who intend to bring IIT project for selfish interest and ultimately file a writ petition in the HC.
