Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott objects to marinas in Zuari Published on: September 8, 2013 - 01:35
More in: Goa News PANAJI: The Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) has strongly objected to the location of two proposed marinas in the Zuari river. In a press release issued, the GRE has stated that the Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) has granted permission for setting up of two marinas in the Zuari river and that it has leased out one lakh square metres of water to each of the project proponents. The department of tourism has been proposing to set up four marinas under the Public Private Participation (PPP) model in order to attract so called high-end tourists to the small state of Goa, Agnel Rodrigues, president of the GRE, has mentioned in the release, adding, however, the locations of these marinas have not been disclosed and hence the people of Goa are in the dark. “The GRE strongly objects to the location of the two marinas in the Zuari, which are proposed to be set up in Sancoale bay and off Siridao village respectively. The two locations are virtually opposite each other. The waters of Sancoale bay, Chicalim bay (including St Jacinto Island) and off Siridao beach are rich fishing grounds that have enabled the traditional fishermen to carry on their activities unhindered for centuries,” Rodrigues has been quoted as saying. The Sancoale - (St Jacinto Island) - Chicalim bay form one contiguous area wherein thousands of families from the villages of Bogmallo, Baina, Velsao, Utorda, Majorda, Cortalim, Quelossim and Dabolim are engaged in collection of clams, shellfish etc. In these fishing grounds, traditional fishermen are also engaged in gillnet fishing and phutanis (stakes). In Siridao, thousands of families from Siridao, Goa Velha, and Curca are engaged in fishing the traditional way for centuries, being either ramponkars or through gillnet fishing and phutanis (stakes), it is pointed out. According to the GRE, dredging of lakhs of cubic metres of earth and construction activity will disturb the sea bed and adversely affect “our livelihood and the construction of break waters, will adversely affect the ecology of the area, thus directly impacting the catch of traditional fishermen.” The release points out that the use of gillnets and free movement of canoes and boats of the traditional fishermen are bound to be affected by the enhanced marine activity due to the marinas. Marinas will include activities such as refueling, repair and painting of boats, which use materials that are toxic and polluting and which would chemically pollute the waters, it has been mentioned, adding high-end tourism projects are welcome but they should not be at the cost of the traditional inhabitants of Goa. “Late Matanhy Saldanha had opposed the powers of MPT to lease out large tracts of water to whomsoever it pleases, and had demanded denotification of MPT jurisdiction over the inland and coastal areas,” Rodrigues has said adding the point was even highlighted in his election manifesto under ‘Issues to be taken up with the Centre.’ “The present government had promised to consider the issues raised by late Matanhy,” he has mentioned. The GRE has also requested the authorities “not to compel the traditional fishermen to resort to all means at its disposal in order to ensure that the marinas do not come up in river Zuari and if need arise it is ready to launch a sustained agitation like the one in the mid- seventies.”
