MARGAO
Upping the ante against the ongoing dredging of River Sal, a delegation of various stakeholders, including traditional fishermen, on Monday requested authorities including the Captain of Ports and the Goa State Biodiversity Board to immediately stop the river dredging work.
A delegation comprising of Roy Barretto, Agostinho Furtado and others submitted a memorandum to the authorities, including the Captain of Ports, Goa State Biodiversity Board, Goa State Pollution Control Board, besides the Fisheries Department, to stop the dredging work. The stakeholders have now drawn up plans to submit the memorandum to the Goa State Coastal Zone Management Authority, Forest Department and the South Goa Collector to immediately stop the work.
While insisting on the immediate stoppage of the dredging work, the stakeholders drew the attention of the authorities that the fishing community inhabiting the banks of River Sal is dependent on the river for their livelihood.
The memorandum pointed out that the government has not considered the livelihood and security of the traditional fishermen while executing work on the dredging project. The memorandum was clear in saying that the channel created by the dredging work is destroying the fish breeding grounds.
That’s not all. The stakeholders pointed out that the excavated “toxic silt” (dredge material) is deposited on the banks destroying the mangroves by smothering their roots, causing destruction to the surrounding biodiversity and loss of habitat.
Roy told The Goan that the delegation also drew the attention of the authorities that the CRZ rules mandate that the silt extracted from the river should not be dumped under the village jurisdiction.
“We also requested the authorities to ensure that the sewage treatment plant at Khareaband stops discharging the waste. Our repeated reminders to the authorities have not stopped the discharge of sewage from the treatment plants, thus contaminating the river”, he added.
Saying the Captain of Ports has agreed to get the dredging work stopped, Roy said that the Captain of Ports also admitted that dredge material can't be dumped in village jurisdiction.
“The Captain of Ports said the dredge material needs to be disposed of offshore (12 nautical miles). They also agreed that no mangroves will be destroyed and no heavy-duty pumps be used for dredging”, Roy added.
Stakeholders, including traditional fishermen and environmentalists, including activist Abhijit Prabhudesai, had conducted an inspection of River Sal during the weekend and found how mudflats and mangroves have been destroyed in the ongoing work.
Traditional fishermen inhabiting the banks of River Sal in the villages of Assolna, Ambelim, Velim, Cavelossim and Chinchinim had long opposed dredging of the river, fearing the destruction of the rich marine habitat, adversely affecting their livelihood.
In fact, River Sal is the home for fresh river fish, including Shevtes, Mordoshos (ladyfish), besides tamshes and pallu.
