VASCO
Former Cortalim MLA Alina Saldanha on Monday expressed joy and relief to note that the Supreme Court had cancelled the clearance given by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) for doubling of the SWR track from Tinaighat to Vasco.
“The people of Goa can now have a sigh of relief that finally it is the apex court that has come to their rescue and ensured that the biodiversity of the State will be protected for posterity,” stated Saldanha in a press note.
“I take this opportunity to thank every individual and every organisation which has contributed in some way or the other towards this great achievement for Goa and her people. It is often said when human beings at the helm of affairs do not care, God steps in to save his creation.”
“I also clearly remember when the SWR double tracking project was put up to the forest department way back in 2013, it was rejected by the then PCCF Richard D’Souza, who said the fragile biodiversity of the ghats would be lost forever, to which I agreed and so also did the late chief minister Manohar Parrikar.”
As MLA in the government at the time, Saldanha said it was her bounden duty to protect not only the forest but also residences of those living along the proposed route for the second SWR track.
