Dear Goans,
Please see below links for photos and below Press Note on the Proposed
Mopa Airport.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cs2hRaUrNVF_IK63boYOZg?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CpeoS8A13FHHZKfb7Hm3Ww?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/45C412EN9efXDSgWueUdWA?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/v-1M41dMD4m4Jlp-OQx5GQ?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bYlVSxI3LjqfMjvoT4eElg?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ti0VxT8zOFb0Wj2CNbj_4w?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mlpQWZVQDUqxVnWg0wT9Tg?feat=directlink
We need to strongly question and debate the same; is it really required
for Goa/Goans or is it really required to satisfy the greed of
Politicians who besises other vested interests; have made huge
investments today in the area with the hope of reaping huge illegitimate
profits should the airport come up??
Arwin
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Siddarth Karapurkar
Date: 2010/1/7
Subject: Fwd: mopa vimantall+ photos of mopa
To: arwinmesquita
hi arwin,
pl find photos of mopa villages which will be destroyed if airport is
finalised.
regards
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MOPA VIMANTALL PIDITT XETKARI SAMITI
H. No 236, SHIMECHEA ADVAN - VARKHAND
PEDNEM GOA
PRESS NOTE
REF NO . pn 011
Date : 29/08/2009
This is apropos the press note published on the 26th august in local
daily lokmat issued by one mr Rupesh Parab claiming to be a member of so
called “xetkari samiti “ of Mopa Pednem stating that the mopa villagers
who will be affected are in support of the proposed airport.
We like to inform that we strongly oppose the land acquisition as we
tend to loose our livelihood, mopa village is losing approximately 11
lakh sqmts out of the 90 lakh odd sqmts to be acquired for the proposed
airport and the affected people from Karmalli vada & pednekar vada of
mopa village , who are the main losers, are totally against the
acquisition. Other villages losing land are Varkhand, cansarvanem,
Chandel, Ugvem, Amerem and poraskadem which is not mentioned in his
press note. Mr Parab also mentioned which no other true genuine farmer
would say that the farmers do not mind losing agricultural land for jobs
which will be created at the proposed airport.
We would also like to state that more than 90lakh sqmts earmarked for
acquisition for the Mopa Airport is based on statements made in
government report & published in local newspaper claiming that there is
absolutely no environmental, social or economic impact. The report also
suggests that there are no permanent settlements and people will not be
affected by the acquisition.
On the slopes around the majestic plateaus which rise to a height of
170mts above sea level, our industrious villages have planted over the
years large cashew plantations in amongst the lush green natural forest.
Conservative estimate of the number of cashew trees will be around 40
lakhs which is responsible for producing cashew kernels and allied
produce of the tree to a value of more than 100 crore annually. This is
the main sustenance and livelihood of around 15000 people living in
these and other neighboring villages.
There are also tens of thousands of betel nut trees, jackfruit, mango
and coconut trees which the villagers subsist upon. The people of this
area have judiciously used the land for growing fruit bearing trees in
mixed cultivation with minimum interference with natural forest
comprising of innumerable trees of various species having economic and
environmental values that cannot be estimated.
There are hundreds of permanent houses in settlements which are more
than 250 years old which will be demolished once acquisition takes
place. However government reports as quoted by the newspaper states that
there are no permanent houses within the acquisition area. It is
difficult to understand that hundreds of houses having electricity,
water, house numbers served by schools and community centers, also large
irrigation projects, potable water projects and other government
amenities supplied by the government are missed out while deciding the
feasibility of the site for the proposed airport.
There is also a large population in and around the whole area which
depend on fresh water springs and as these mountains retain water as
natural water reservoirs all the wells in all nearby villages and even
in maharashtra will be affected.
Just imagine if this 90 lakhs sqmts of land is acquired for the Airport
project ,all people of this region will be forced to become refugees in
their own land as their livelihoods will be confiscated and no income to
feed their families,
If land is acquired than we will loose lakhs of fruit bearing trees
which will help escalate the food price rise, also cutting down of
crores and crores of natural forest trees will definitely aggravate the
global warming.
The ministry of environment & forests , Govt of India in their
submission to the united nations framework convention on climate change
has said that “Eradicating poverty is the first and overriding priority
“, but in this case 15000 people will be forced into poverty directly
and lakhs of others will get affected indirectly. The ministry also
acknowledges and recognizes the need to increase forest cover but
cutting down crores and crores of trees in mopa area will affect everybody.
Thanking You,
Sandip Kambli ( secretary )
