Farmers who will lose their ancestral land on Mopa plateau for the proposed airport in the region, have warned that the project will spell doom on the ecology of Pernem taluka.
Farmers who will lose their ancestral land on Mopa plateau for the proposed airport in the region, have warned that the project will spell doom on the ecology of Pernem taluka in North Goa district.
"The state government is not realising now what kind of grave mistake they are doing. Disturbance of Mopa plateau will crumble the entire ecosystem of Pernem," Sandip Kambli, secretary, Mopa Vimantall Piditt Xetkari Samiti, told reporters on Friday.
Pernem residents are indirectly dependent on this plateau for water, soil and fodder. Besides, the farmers are losing more than 100 lakh square metres of land from Varkhand, Cansarvanem, Chandel, Ugvem, Amerem, and Poraskadem villages, in the plateau, he said.
The area has around 40 lakh cashew trees besides several betel nut, jack fruit, mango and coconut trees.
Goa government has began land acquisition for the greenfield airport at Mopa in North Goa.
The farmers, who claim that there are hundreds of houses on that plateau which existed since last 250 years, have warned to take to the streets as their petitions submitted to Goa chief minister Digamber Kamat and member of Parliament Sripad Naik have fallen on deaf ears.
"The importance of conserving and protecting the plateau cannot be overlooked in the context of water security," Kambli said.
Kambli said that the gigantic aquifer through numerous visible and underground springs meets the drinking water and irrigation meets the needs of a large section of the population of the taluka.
Strengthening his case opposing land acquisition, Kambli said that ecological balance of the taluka is so closely intertwined with our aims and objectives, that all the residents of Pernem, whether farmers or not should join hands with us.
Kambli said that several legislators have purchased land around the airport project, which is why they are supporting it.
"No one is bothered about us… We may be small in numbers but finally we are human beings," he rued.
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