The Ahoy Marina is planned over an area of 1.5 lakh sq m of which 50,000 sq m shall be reclaimed land. It is pertinent to note that this project had earlier been put on hold following opposition from the locals. Nauxim bay, the site of the project is an important windowpane oyster habitat and a marine ecodiversity hotspot, the marina will not only harm aquatic life but also destroy the livelihood of ramponkars. Nauxim will essentially be turned into a rich man's playground who would steam into the bay on their pleasure boats (239 to be accommodated). The project proponent Kargwal Construction is using its connections with the government in Maharashtra to push through their dream project. To facilitate matters the Union Environment ministry's 'Expert Appraisal Committee' has ruled that the marina does not require environmental clearance. This sustained ecological ravishment will deprive future generations of the idyllic Goa of yore, and instead encounter an alien petrified landscape marked by concrete monstrosities. A mass movement on the lines of the recent Pernem's people opposition to disastrous TCP masterplan changes is required.
