THE GOAN NETWORK
VASCO
The NGO ‘Save Kesarval Spring Movement’ (SKSM) on Wednesday has demanded the immediate closure of all bore wells at Verna Industrial Estate to save the famous Kesarval Spring from further damage.
The demand was made when several SKSM members led by its convenor John D’Sa, the Quelossim Village Biodiversity Chairman Lopinho Xavier and other villagers had gathered to clean the famous Kesarval Spring on Wednesday to commemorate World Environment Day.
D’Sa said they would meet the government with their demands of shutting down all bore wells at Verna Industrial Estate. Desa said the Kesarval spring was being cleaned every year during World Environment Day.
“The water still flows and the spring never dries up here. But before the Verna Industrial Estate began drilling around 250 bore wells, the flow of water was huge. The flow has now declined and it is our objective to close these bore wells. We have demanded that the bore wells be closed to save the Kesarval Spring.”
“We have also demanded that villagers and picnickers should not litter the place and should take back their garbage,” added D’Sa.
Speaking to reporters, Xavier said they would clean the Kesarval Spring every year and yet, people using the spring have been littering the place by throwing garbage, bottles and plastic in the water and surrounding area.
“We appeal to them not to do so and keep their plastic and bottle at one corner or dump them in dustbins. We also appeal to MLA Alina Saldanha to keep some police personnel to avoid nuisance at the site. We hope the MLA will act on our appeal and deploy a police team, so that the spring continues to benefit people from the village and whole of Goa,” said Xavier.
Former Cortalim Dy Sarpanch Vincent Pereira said the villagers had met the tourism department some years ago with a request to develop the Kesarval spring, adding that Dr Barbosa as then chief minister had undertaken small development of the spring.
“In 2018, there was a proposal that GTDC would come up with a hotel project here and we had opposed the proposal, only to ensure that the flow of water is not stopped. But the flow is gone down because of the bore wells. The Quelossim Panchayat has put forwarded a proposal to the WRD department that this spring be restored. We appeal to the MLA to take up this demand with WRD to restore the spring to its original glory,” said Pereira.
