Various activists who came under the banner of ‘Green Goa’ to take up issues threatening the greenery of Goa.
Photo Credits: Manuel Vaz
OLD GOA
A ‘Green Goa’ initiative has been formed under the leadership of former minister Nirmala Sawant to take up issues threatening the greenery of the State.
Speaking to reporters, historian Prajal Sakhardande informed that the ‘Green Goa’ initiative is a platform for various green activists to take up issues that threaten the greenery of the State through various projects.
“Under this platform, we are going to highlight how the projects are threatening to turn our green Goa into brown, be it the eco-tourism project in Old Goa, project with 24 swimming pools in Moira, projects for coal transportation, projects at Mandrem, etc,” Sakhardande added.
“Wherever we go, there are destructive projects being planned and we at ‘Green Goa’ are going to voice our concern as Goans to give a clarion call to unite and force the government to stop the destruction of Goa,” Sakhardande stated.
“These projects are not for Goans but for outsiders as people from all over India want to come and settle in Goa, which has already crossed the saturation point,” Sakhardande said.
When questioned how the ‘Green Goa’ initiative will help resolve all such issues, activist Tanoj Adwalplkar said they will extend support to the protestors from across Goa so that they get justice.
Another activist, Swapnesh Sherlekar, informed that they will give voice to the people who are afraid to take on the might of the government.
Earlier, Nirmala Sawant made suggestions that need to be incorporated in the new agriculture policy to benefit the farmers and to avoid human-animal conflict.
Pratima Coutinho spoke on the destruction that will be caused to heritage as well as ecology due to IPB’s eco-tourism project, as also the illegal structure in the heritage precinct at Old Goa. Former minister Alina Saldanha spoke on how the double tracking is threatening the ancestral houses of Goans just to favour the coal lobby.
