The opposition to the Formula 4 event at Bogda in Vasco is growing by the day. The special meeting of the Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) on Friday reportedly descended into chaos as councillors staged a walkout over the upcoming three-day international event. Following the disruption, the meeting was adjourned due to lack of quorum, and instruction was given to municipal staff to stop all the ongoing works related to the event until further notice.
In yet another related development and show of rare political unity, former minister Milind Naik, along with leaders from various political parties, councillors and residents, reportedly opposed the forthcoming international event and demanded that it either be scrapped entirely or shifted to another location.
It is pertinent to note that Formula cars still largely run on fossil fuels, thereby contributing to carbon emissions. The maintenance of race tracks and the surrounding infrastructure can harm the local ecosystem. The loud engines generate significant noise pollution, which will affect not just humans but animal life.
It is understood that the MMC itself has not been officially informed about the event details. The locals have not been taken into confidence. Surprisingly, though the Indian Navy has a naval base workshop at Bogda, which provides engineering services for repairing naval ships and equipment, no objection has thus far been raised by the naval authorities to the event, though it can lead to a breach of security.
Also surprisingly, the opposition parties in the Assembly have not come out in support of the public outcry against the event. The event will bring untold misery to the people in the locality, and opposition political parties, cutting across party lines, need to come out in support of the locals.
