Goenchea RaponkaranchoEkvott (Raponkars, Magkars, Cantaikars,Pagelkars)
Regd.Under Societies Act.1860 HeadOffice: Affiliated to National FishWorkers Forum Reg.No. RS./240/76 FABRICABLDG NewDelhi. Reg. No. 487/8 CANSAULIM P.O. 403712 MORMUGAO- GOA Ref: Date : 15th November2017 In favour of Publication, please GeneralSecretary of GRE and National fishworkers forum Vice Chairperson Olencio Simoes and NFFyuva convenor Hendrigue Dmello alsosarpanch of Velsao Pale submitted an memorandum to declassify Sixnationalisation of Goan Rivers from National WaterwaysAct, 2016 along with 12 long pending demands of thefisherman of Goa to the shri.Radha Mohan Singh Hon Min of Agriculture &farmers welfare,Shri.K.J.Alphonse Kannanthanam Hon Min of state for tourism andguest of honour his excellency Shr.Ram Naik Governor of Uttar Pradesh at theInaugural Function of 7th General Assembly of World Forum of FisherPeople(WFFP) at NDMC conference hall, New Delhi. TheGRE and NFF has request the above ministers to peruse with the PrimeMinister Narendra Modiji to declassifythe unconstitutional and anti-nationalattempt to usurp 6 rivers that belong to Goan communities using the NationalWaterways Act, 2016, only for a few private and foreign corporations who wishto abuse Goa and Her rivers for coal transportation to reduce freightcosts. Olenciostated that our Rivers of Goa have been systematically created by the localcommunities with ingeniously designed bandhs and flow control systemsconstructed with incalculable labour spanning thousands of years. The localcommunities hold these rivers in commons, the highest form of tenure and use,since times immemorial. Most of Goa’s villages and local communities likefisherman are located on the banks ofour rivers, and the rivers form an essential and inseparable part of thesocio-economic and environmental assets of our villages. HendrigueDmello said that the local fishing communities have always been the decisionmakers, the caretakers, as well as the beneficiaries of the rivers. Our riversare used extensively by the local communities for their sustenance andlivelihoods. Lakhs of local residents are dependent upon the rivers for theirsurvival. Rich agricultural lands and fisheries provide abundance of fish, riceand coconut that feed Goa’s population. The rivers and their appurtenant landscan provide employment, food, water and security to our populations forever,unless nationalization is permitted. Theprotection of our villages from storms is ensured by the local knowledge andexpertise in management of the river bandhs and river ecology. This protectionfrom natural elements will also be lost in case of nationalization, leading todisastrous flooding and destruction during storms. The natural bandhs withmangroves are the only sustainable protection from floods and hencenationalization of our rivers cannot be allowed. Simoes said that unsustainable dredging creates disturbanceto aquatic ecosystems. The soil deposits in any water-body have a certainpre-disposed composition. Through unsustainable dredging this composition getsaltered thus leading to death of the existing habitat of creatures andorganisms that depends on the original composition of the soil, due to theunfavourableness of the changes caused. The turbidness of the soil under thewater also changes due to this alteration in the underwater soil composition.This poses problems by way of creationof newer and harmful organisms, transferring of unwanted organisms to otherparts in the water-body leading to a wider spread of contamination and organicprocesses by way of release of extra and unwanted nutrients. The turbidnessalso causes the already existing contaminations to spread further into thewater-body which ultimately affects the marine environment adversely. Additionally, removing gravel from river beds by dredgingleads to the loss of spawning grounds for fish, and can cause loss of some fishspecies. Removing river bank soils disturbs the habitat of river bank faunasuch as otters and water voles, thus leading to change in chemical compositionof the water. Unsustainable dredging destroys hundreds of species of fish,Amphibians, Birds, Mammals and Reptiles which endangers all the ScheduleSpecies (Fishes) of Indian Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972, besides itamounting to complete CRZ violation as Mangroves will be cut or destroyed alongwith the destruction of Corals and coral reefs, Turtle nesting grounds, Horseshoe crabs habitats, Sea grass beds, Mudflats, Nesting grounds of birds etc. . Therivers and their bandhs are extremely sensitive ecologically, and the dredgingof the rivers, concretization of bandhs and creation of jetties and storageyards in the khazans will cause unprecedented destruction and loss ofbiodiversity and environment, with direct impact upon our economies andsociety. Ourrivers and appurtenant lands are protected not only under various environmentallaws of India, but also under International Conventions that we have signed.The proposal to nationalize our rivers is in gross violation of our laws andInternational commitments and cannot even be considered in view of theecological and environmental aspects stated above. Simoesthat that our the nationalization of our rivers is purely for transportation of bulk cargoes through ourrivers for private profits of three companies, while causing mass destruction,death and displacement for the rest of us. -sd- Olencio Simoes (Gen. Sec. of GRE, AGFU & Vice Chairperson ofNational Fishworkers’ Forum) -sd- Hendrique Dmello (NFF yuva convenor) Olencio Simoes,Joint General Secretary of Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott and Secretary of National Fishworkers' Forum.Address:H.no.344,opposite health center,Baga,Cansaulim Goa.403172.Phone:9158875851.
