Anti-coal groups, citizens urged to rally on November 1 to chart new course of resistance
Social activists made a fervent plea to the people of Goa to attend the public meeting at the historic Lohia Maidan, Margao, on November 1 at 5 pm.
MARGAO
Chalo Lohia Maidan. That’s the war cry sounded by the Goyant Kollso Naka and social activists to the people of Goa to gather at the historic Lohia Maidan, Margao on November 1, at 5 pm, to decide the course of action to intensify the ongoing agitation against coal.
The November 1 meeting at the historic Lohia Maidan assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of the fact that it was on this day five years ago on November 1, 2020 that thousands of people from across Goa had assembled at the historic village of Chandor to protest in one voice against coal and coal transportation.
Addressing the media at the Lohia Maidan, Goyant Kollso Naka co-convenor and environmentalist activist Abhijit Prabhudesai made an impassioned plea to the people of Goa to attend the Lohia Maidan meeting on November 1, to take the battle to save Goa, its environment and its people to its logical conclusion.
He appealed to all Goans to rise and defeat government’s plan to convert Goa into a coal hub, ignoring sustained and unanimous opposition from the residents of the State for almost 10 years. “Goans have put up an extraordinary fight since 2016 to prevent numerous aspects of this mammoth project from taking shape, including dredging of Vasco Bay, double tracking of SWR, port expansion projects, new Borim bridge and NH-4A and NH-17B widening, river dredging, construction of jetties such as at Xelvona, demarcating HTL inside our villages, construction of roads through the khazans, removal of khazans from protection under CRZ laws, attempts to build barrages to supply water for future steel plants, etc,” Abhijit said.
He, however, said the government has now intensified its efforts on multiple fronts, including grant of clearances for capital dredging of Vasco Bay and for doubling of capacity of SWP's coal berths at Mormugao Port, and hasty land acquisition for New Borim bridge construction for coal transportation. “As a fitting response to the government's arrogance, Goyant Kollso Naka has organised an awareness meeting at Lohia Maidan, Margao, at 5 pm on November 1, 2025, to share facts regarding the coal plans and the struggle of the people against coal. All Goans and other residents, especially the youth, are invited to understand the coal plans for Goa, and to express solidarity with the people and land of Goa,” he said.
Abhijit said religious institutions, political parties and the people of Goa should leave aside their differences and attend the Lohia Maidan meeting to save Goa from destruction.
South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes said the ongoing battle to save Goa is not for the present generation, but for posterity. “If we do not stop moves to make Goa a coal hub now, the posterity will question us what we had done to save our environment. This is the last chance to Save Goa from destruction,” he said.
Viriato said a detailed presentation will be made at the Lohia Maidan about the conspiracy to bring in 137 million tonnes of coal into Goa every year. “We will escalate the issue in Delhi in the coming days,” he added.
