Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Velim MLA Cruz Silva on Sunday extended his support to the Diocesan Commission for Ecology of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman in its opposition to the South Western Railway (SWR) double-tracking project.
Silva said the project posed a threat to Goa’s ecology, heritage, and livelihoods and recalled that the Supreme Court, in a May 9, 2022 judgment, had set aside the wildlife clearance granted to it.
“The Commission’s statement led by Rev Dr Bolmax Pereira echoes the voice of thousands of Goans who have consistently opposed this project,” Silva said.
He listed several concerns raised by citizens, including destruction of the Western Ghats, threat to ancestral homes and religious sites, pollution from coal transportation, and forcible land acquisition from farmers and communidades.
“As a public representative, I stand with the people and the Church in asserting that development must never come at the cost of our environment, heritage, or dignity,” Silva said, adding that Goa’s future lay in “sustainable and inclusive growth.”
The MLA urged the government to stop all activities related to the double-tracking project and initiate a transparent review of its necessity and impact.
