By Marcellus D’Souza

Mar 29: Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, while addressing the state legislative Assembly has said the construction of the international airport at Mopa in North Goa is expected to be completed and commissioned by August this year.

This is five months away from the day when a swanky, modern airport will become operational. Is this possible? At what speed will the project be completed. True, Pramod Sawant, who was sworn-in a day earlier, is in a haste to prove his mettle to the BJPs ‘high command.’

But at what costs? On March 24, 5 trucks at the Mopa construction site caught fire. These were dumpers used to transport mud. The loss has been estimated at Rs 1.5 crore. It took Pernem fire personnel more than two hours to douse the fire, with additional resources from Mapusa Fire Services.
The fire was not an act of arson but workers of the Mopa project who were reportedly not paid their salaries for six months who lit fire in retaliation, to highlight their plight. That highlights the frustration of the workers internally.

Externally, the people of Pernem have opposed the project to the hilt. On March 25, the High Court of Bombay reserved its verdict on a petition pertaining to the Mopa link road. Villagers demanded a ‘fair compensation’ of their lands and have protesting felling of trees, in a petition. They are challenging the land acquisitions under the National Highway Act for the purpose of constructing Mopa Airport link road.

So, if on the last day of March, land is still being acquired then why the tall claim that the airport will be ready by August 2022. Instead of trying to pull the wool on people’s eyes and painting a rosy picture that the Mopa Airport will soon receive aircrafts, let the government explain how this unachievable target is going to become a reality.

Now that the government is in majority with 25 members, it must bring out a white paper on the progress of the project, the cost escalations, delays, strikes, the hand of Goa or unnatural reasons it foresees.

The people have opposed this project and continue to do so. If the Mopa link road was so vital to the project, the HC did have multitude options before it, legally speaking, to quash the order. But the fact that it reserved its judgement means that the HC was not convinced of the arguments put forth by government.

Are the people no longer important? Can local voices be trampled upon, now that the votes have been counted, the legislators have taken their oath and the government is in the saddle? What about all the photographic evidence that has been provided. Does the camera tell blatant lies and untruths? I was moved by a video of a spring that has sustained TuIaskarwadi for generations, filled with construction mud at the Mopa link road.

Which of the 40-members in the Assembly do not understand the utility of a Spring and how it impacts lives around it. The spring at TuIaskarwadi supports plantations. The destruction of the TuIaskarwadi spring has not only meant the destruction of fruit tress but the loss of livelihoods that revolve around these plantations.

The farmers from Tulaskarwadi Nagzar, Warkhand, Dhargal have been raising the issue in various for a but to no avail. How blinded can the government get. Are these the same politicians who recently went house to house, with folded hands, asking for votes.

I am not opposed to development. I supported the Konkan Raiways when the government took a decision to bring it thru Goa. But I was in awe of political leaders and the support the church extended to force the realignment of the railway route so to save the heritage and sacred site of Old Goa. Where is the Church today? Why is it not extending it whole hearted support to the people of Mopa? Destruction does not come with a religious tag or colour.