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----------------------------------------------------------------------- Documented by Goa Desc Documentation Service & circulated by Goa Civic & Consumer Action Network (GOA CAN)<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Ph:2252660 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- Mopa: Boon or Bane? -------------------------------- By Robert D'Souza
The State government recently issued a notification to acquire land for the construction of the new Mopa International Airport. Goa is a tiny State consisting of a population of about 15 lakhs which is spread into just two districts of the State. This State is blessed with a rich flora and fauna, rich cultural heritage, ancient monuments, etc., which should not be over exploited nor be disturbed. North Goa specially is known to be a serene place - there is peace, tranquillity and nature is at its best as I have experienced first hand.
If the Mopa airport comes up no doubt Dabolim will also be operational
and this will mean that each district of Goa will have an airport,
Isn't this ridiculous? In future, our neighbouring states that are much bigger
than Goa - in fact, the whole of the Goa can be compared to one of their
districts - will also ask for an airport for each district. Does Goa, therefore,
being so small, need another airport?
This proposed airport will not be a boon in any way to the North Goa hoteliers
but as the Editor of this newspaper has pointed out it will be a boon only to the
politicians of Maharashtra who will capture that business in no time. So what
is the rationale behind building an airport in our land, disturbing the environment
causing sound pollution only to benefit people from Maharashtra?
This is not development but a barter system of politics.
The government has been ineffective in keeping the road transport department
in order nor is it doing anything to protect turtles at Morjim; nothing is done for
the dolphins that are getting endangered in the North Goa, no action for the
protection of teak wood trees in Pollem, no action for the removal of the River
Princess and yet the government is banking on the Mopa airport to consolidate
its vote bank.
The River Princess will soon be celebrating its third anniversary and these
three years have seen two chief ministers, Francisco Sardinha and Manohar Parrikar.
The latter being a mechanical engineer, should have used his clout to remove
that grounded vessel but yet on this front he expects people to tell him what to do,
or else, he must have surrendered to the mighty Anil Salgaocar.
Mopa airport will disturb the peace of North Goans. Why instead, can't the Navy
be told to shift to Karwar? Why is the government silent on this front?
The Dabolim airport is more than sufficient for Goa, being ideally located away
from densely populated areas and quite a reasonable distance from any part of Goa.
Manohar Parrikar seems to have been bitten by the parallel bug - like the parallel
Mandovi bridge, a parallel Zuari bridge, a (parallel) new assembly complex,
a proposed new Raj Bhavan, a proposed new secretariat, a proposed new
parallel airport, sooner or later, a proposed new CM residence, may be official
or unofficial. God forbid - if Goa is hit by an earthquake, all these sprawling new
structures will be reduced to pieces resulting in a huge waste of resources.
The forests of North Goa are blessed with a variety of birds and animals
including our national bird, the peacock. Should we disturb their ecological balance
for our greed? I feel we have no right to do so. As it is accidents are only increasing
on Goan roads. With the proposed new airport there will be wider roads and more
accidents. I feel that the proposed Mopa international airport should be rejected
and opposed to by Goans, because from all angles, this airport does not seem
to be worth the huge investment whether it is funded by NRIs, BOT, BOOT.
The government cannot impose upon the people, in fact, there should have been
a debate with people from North Goa who will be the worst hit by this airport.
First it was the Siolim hill that was proposed for the construction of an airport.
Fortunately, this proposal was scrapped by the AAI for lack of land. Finally they
have settled for Mopa. Why doesn't government concentrate on more important
areas of development? Summer is approaching and the perennial water scarcity
is here again. What proposed plans does the government have for providing water,
a basic necessity? Mopa can come later.
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HERALD 3/03/03 page 6
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