Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Save Mhadei Save Goa Front condemns Goa Government for refusing to protect River Mhadei, while doing everything possible to destroy Goa’s besieged and scarce water resources, threatening to turn Goa into a manmade desert.
Save Mhadei Save Goa Front calls upon all the people of Goa to start a State wide Water Revolution, failing which this ignorant Government is going to completely destroy Goa’s water resources, and Her future.
There are many ominous signs that the water crises have already hit Goa. River Khandepar is dry this summer, and Goans are drinking water from mining pits fed into Opa water works, without testing for toxic heavy metals that are normally found in such pits. Moissal dam ran dry, as did many of our other water bodies and springs.
Ministers are seen scurrying around in villages like Sarzora, looking for water to feed the cancerous real estate greed in distant urban and industrial areas.
Usgao and Khandepar villages are staring at floods and destruction, only to satisfy the greed of industrialists for huge amounts of water. From Pernem to Canacona, we are all united in this water crisis created by this Government.
Some of the immediate threats to our water resources due to Goa Government’s total failure are: (1) diversion of River Mhadei and other waters flowing into Goa from Maharashtra and Karnataka; (2) destruction of ground water aquifers and recharge areas, especially plateaus and hill slopes, for speculative greed of real estate lobbies and unsustainable industries; (3) rising sea levels and the increased salinity ingress along our coast;
4) grabbing of our local water resources by water guzzling industries, mega projects and 5-star hotels; (5) pollution of our springs, ponds, lakes and rivers due to urbanization and polluting industries; – all of which are a result of suicidal policies of a Government blinded by greed and arrogance.
The numerous agitations and protests across Goa against real estate speculation, Regional Plan, land use changes, Government projects, etc are in fact rooted in the water crises that ordinary citizens can foresee, but the Government, blinded by greed, cannot.
The situation is extremely bleak for Goans since the water scarcity, destruction of water resources, and diversion of water from local communities to speculative profit seeking corporations is increasing every day, thanks to an anti-people Government.
Save Mhadei Save Goa Front calls upon all the citizens of Goa to unite and start a State wide Revolution to save the water resources of Goa, before it is too late. In order to launch the Water Revolution, Save Mhadei Save Goa Front calls upon all Goans to gather at Lohia Maidan, Margao at 4 pm on the auspicious occasion of Goa Revolution Day, 18th June 2023.
It is essential that the reluctant and blind Government is forced by the people to immediately save River Mhadei by stopping its diversion, and to stop destroying our local water resources for speculative greed of a few crony capitalists.
The people of Goa and the Government are reminded that this is the last chance for us to save our water resources, failing which our future generations will have no water to survive.