MARGAO
A young girl holding a placard with the message “Sarzora lake our jewel” summed up the emotions and sentiments of the local populace to the government's plans to tap the lake water to Mormugao and Verna for industrial use.
As Sarzorkars assembled at the lake to protest over the government’s move, locals feared that lifting away water from the lake for industries will turn the wetland into a dryland, leaving village wells dry and with no water for irrigation.
“The beauty of Sarzora is our lake. I grew up here. When I was a kid, my grandfather used to get us to the lake. We used to pray before our entry and exit to the lake. Thanks to the lake, our village wells have never turned dry,” asserted a village girl as the young and old assembled at the lake to protest over Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar’s plan to tap the Sarzora lake water to the industries in Mormugao and Verna.
Villagers in one voice vowed to continue to protect the water resources for future generations and repeated their warning that under no circumstances they will allow the lake waters to be usurped by the greedy.
“Sarzora lake has been declared a protected wetland recently, reserving the use of the water for ecological purposes and local farmers only. Sarzora lake recharges all the wells of our village on which we are dependent for our drinking water. The lake shall be crucial for the survival of our local communities in the future,” asserted panch Sabita Mascarenhas.
WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar had told the media that he would visit the Sarzora lake, besides Dicarpale lake and the Kushawati river to explore the possibility to use the raw water for the industries based at Verna and Mormugao.
Condemning the Minister’s visit without taking the panchayat into confidence, the villagers said it is clear that the WRD has no interest in conserving or improving water resources, but its only goal is to usurp the resources created and nurtured by local communities for the short-term profits of real estate speculators and greedy industrialists.
“This gross abuse of powers by WRD is certainly going to turn Goa into an uninhabited desert unless the people of Goa rise and stop the destruction of water resources of Goa,” the villagers stated.
Focus on saving Mhadei instead of tapping lake water: Villagers
MARGAO:
Instead of exploring the possibility of tapping lake waters for industries, Sarzora villagers conveyed a message to the government to focus on saving the Mhadei river and stop the government from diverting the river waters to Karnataka.
“Villagers of Sarzora are dependent on the well water. Instead, the government should save the Mhadei river. The government’s focus ought to be on saving river Mhadei”, a village girl told the media.
Former sarpanch Sabita Mascarenhas echoed similar sentiments by saying the government should leave no stone unturned to save the Mhadei river.
“WRD has no knowledge of the flood prevention infrastructure local communities have created and maintained, but has recklessly allowed its destruction for highways and real estate. WRD has no studies of the e-flow (minimum flow required for the ecological health of rivers) for our rivers and is mindlessly killing them too. It is even more incomprehensible how WRD is betraying Goa by allowing neighbouring states to divert Mhadei. In conclusion, unless local communities take things into their own hands, this ignorant department will destroy all our water resources,” the villagers added.
CM has assured govt will not tap Sarzora water, asserts sarpanch
MARGAO:
Sarzora sarpanch Leona Fernandes on Tuesday said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has assured that water from the Sarzora lake will not be tapped by the government and that the village will not be deprived of the lake water.
The sarpanch pointed out that the Chief Minister has urged the panchayat to make a representation to the CM’s Office as well as to WRD Minister Subhash Shirodkar to scrap the proposal to tap the water for industrial use.
The sarpanch informed that she had raised the issue of the Sarzora lake with the Chief Minister when a delegation comprising Velim MLA Cruz Silva, sarpanchas and elected members of panchayats from the constituency called on him on Tuesday.
“I drew the attention of the Chief Minister that there is fear and anxiety in the minds of villagers that water from the Sarzora lake will be pumped to the Mormugao and Verna industrial estate. The CM has assured that nothing of this sort would happen and has urged the panchayat to write to his office and the WRD to scrap the proposal," Leona said while requesting the villagers not to panic.
