MARGAO
Nearly a year after 27 crew members survived a seven-hour ordeal when their fishing vessel ran aground on a sandbar at the mouth of the River Sal, the long-pending training wall project remains mired in delays, leaving fishermen exposed to navigational hazards as the new fishing season commenced on Saturday.
The dramatic incident on September 28 last year once again exposed the dangerous conditions at the mouth of the River Sal, where the river meets the Arabian Sea. The incident renewed demands from mechanised boat owners and fishermen operating from the Cutbona fishing jetty for the construction of a training wall or breakwater to ensure safe navigation through the river mouth.
Questions return with every fishing season
As the new fishing season got underway on August 1, the same concerns have resurfaced.
Fishing stakeholders are seeking answers from the Fisheries Department on the status of the long-delayed training wall project. They want to know whether the department's consultant has completed the Environmental Clearance (EC) process, whether the report has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment, and whether the proposal has received the necessary approval.
For the fishing community, these questions have become an annual ritual. Every fishing season begins with uncertainty over the fate of the training wall project, which was initiated nearly nine years ago but has yet to move beyond the approval stage.
Promise made after last year's mishap
Soon after last year's vessel grounding highlighted the dangers faced by fishermen, Fisheries Director Dr Shamila Monteiro had assured the fishing community that the department's consultant was in the process of finalising an agency to undertake the Environmental Clearance study and prepare the report for submission to the Environment Ministry.
Nearly a year later, fishermen say there is little clarity on whether the consultant has appointed the agency, whether the Environmental Clearance report has been prepared, or whether it has been submitted to the Ministry for approval.
The absence of any visible progress has fuelled frustration among fishing stakeholders, who argue that every delay prolongs the risk to lives and property at the hazardous river mouth.
Project delayed despite NGT clearance
The State government may point to the hurdles that stalled the project after work was initiated in 2017. Construction of the training wall came to a halt after an NGO approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), challenging the project on the grounds that it had commenced without obtaining the mandatory Environmental Clearance.
In 2021, the NGT permitted the Fisheries Department to proceed with the project, but on the condition that the department first secure Environmental Clearance before commencing construction and also undertake restoration of the affected area. However, five years after the tribunal's order, the ground reality remains unchanged.
The prolonged delay raises a key question: why has the Fisheries Department not been able to obtain the mandatory Environmental Clearance despite receiving the NGT's approval in 2021 to proceed after complying with the statutory requirements?
Fishermen await official update
Secretary of the Cutbona Boat Owners Federation Patrick Silva said fishermen have not received any official information on the current status of the project.
"All we know is that work has not started at the mouth of the River Sal. We also know that the NGT gave clearance for the project in 2021. The Fisheries Department is in a better position to explain why the project continues to be delayed," Silva said.
Velim MLA Cruz Silva said the government has failed to make the mouth of the River Sal safe despite repeated incidents over the years.
"I have consistently raised the issue of the training wall project both inside and outside the Assembly over the last five years. Boats continue to be damaged by strong currents and shifting sandbars, while the lives of fishermen and crew members remain at risk," Silva said.
For fishermen returning to sea this season, the absence of a training wall means the risks at the River Sal mouth remain as real as ever.
