Pranav Birje | Senior Correspondent
Thank you Elvidio Miranda Sir
Devchar of Goa and Shri Dev Bodgeshwar (Rakhandar)
Ever since the foundation stone for the Mopa airport was laid in 2016, this project is nothing more than a case of environmental terrorism imposed on the hard working peasants of Mopa who number in the range of 7,000 to , who earned their living by the sweat of their brows, conducting their farming and cattle herding activities.
Consider this case: 54,676 trees, most of them adult trees were felled, 46 fresh water springs were destroyed, the plateau was home to a variety of fauna such as pangolins, civet cats, porcupines, wild boar, bison, as also a variety of birds and butterflies, the peasants were paid a pittance, only Rs 240 per square meter and many have not been paid at all, the area is a portion of the protected Western Ghats region which is UN demarcated zone meant to be protected.
Many organisations such as the Goa For Dabolim Only (GFDO), Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti and the Federation of Rainbow Warriors, the latter very prominent when filing a case in the Supreme Court which dragged on for 9 months, at the end of which the Supreme Court towed the government line which was a travesty of justice. Protesting farmers opposing the project were forcefully stopped from their peaceful demonstration and to cap it all the Official Secrets Act was imposed to prevent journalists from reporting on the conduct of the operations there. No project in Goa’s history has been forced upon the farmers since liberation .
Scientifically, the felling of the 54,676 trees which were carbon sinks has denied this area of the trees’ ability to absorb carbon dioxide by the process of photosynthesis, which should at least have been stopped by the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change from obtaining Environmental Clearance which is a massive blow to the ecosystem of this area.
As per our senior correspondent Pranav Birje said The article written by Elvidio Miranda at 08 Dec 2022 | 06:34am IST
MOPA AIRPORT WILL BE HAUNTED
In Portuguese there is a certain word known as PENSAO, a curse than can last for decades and even longer by virtue of the forcefully evicted farmers having been dispossessed of their land after having been paid what was not the actual worth of the land. The pensao is a well entrenched natural punishment for all those who have cheated the hard working farmers and peasants of their precious land and that too after prolonged protests. This pensao is bound to work in the minds of those who thought that they would making fast money by psychologically affecting their faculties. The pensao is a time tested and well known curse that will not spare any of the errant cohorts. An old man told me this.
The concretisation of the plateau will render the surrounding areas prone to flooding. Nature follows a certain pattern and when that pattern is modified the consequences have to be borne. Nature never forgives a deliberate wrong committed.
Well-meaning travellers are advised not to frequent flights to and from this airport. This is brought to notice of the people so that they act with caution.
