A farmers committee fighting against the proposed greenfield airport at village Mopa in north Goa on Sunday said that about 15,000 people would be affected by the project.
A farmers committee fighting against the proposed greenfield airport at village Mopa in north Goa on Sunday said that about 15,000 people would be affected by the project.
Mopa Airport-Affected Farmers' committee (MAAFC) members told reporters today that almost 15,000 people were getting affected with the airport project.
"There is vast plantation of different crops that brings annual income of Rs80crore for 15,000 people who are dependent on these hills for livelihood," Sandip Kambli, MAAFC
Secretary Sandip Kambli said.
He said that the villagers have decided to oppose any government attempts to acquire their land for the airport, which offers no benefit to the state and locals in particular.
"International guidelines for airports suggest that distance between two projects should not be less than 150km but the existing Dabolim airport is only about 40 km from
Mopa," Kambli pointed out.
Besides, a new airport is also being planned at Chipi in Sindhudurg (Maharashtra) which is about 80 kms away from Mopa, he added.
Kambli said that the land worth Rs1500crore has been earmarked for acquisition for the airport project.
The villagers are a worried lot as they don't know as to what would happen to them after being paid meager government rates for their land.
"We will not be able to buy apiece of land anywhere else. The land prices are soaring in the state," he said.
Father Bismark Fernandes, a priest, who is supporting the people at Mopa said that the construction of airport will affect the entire Pernem taluka.
The land is situated on the plateau and all the water springs are fed water from here. All the springs will dry up once the project comes up, he said.
Kambli said that Mopa village is located in the heart of western ghats which is already declared as a bio diversity hotspot.
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