PANJIM: 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 Rs 80 crore 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 150 km 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 Rs 1500 crore 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 meagre government rates for their land. "We will not be able to buy a piece 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, Kambli said.
He said that Mopa village is located in the heart of Western Ghats which is already declared as a bio diversity hotspot. He added that International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has already ruled that two airports are not feasible for the tiny state like Goa. – PTI
It the government of Goa is a democratic one, it will drop the idea of another airport in Mopa at the request of Goan Farmers and other Goans.. The only civilian airport in Goan history is Dabolim which must be reclaimed from the occupiers The Indian Navy..
ReplyDeleteWhat does our Navelim MLA, the pig of Varca understand about Farmers and their needs. Goa is dependent on outer states for supply of food. Support the farmers of Goa and we will be self sufficient. But that will be a very hard subject to understand by our illiterate ministers.
ReplyDeleteThe Mopa airport offers no benefit to the state and locals in paticular. Its not ment too. It is being built for the naighburing state so that turists can visit their beaches.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Delphine.Other wise Onions will be expensive during Diwali and Christmas again.!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the point of having a new airport at the cost of farming land? Goan governments are addicted to creating Goa into a concrete Jungle. If farming land is being reduced will the government expect us Goans to eat sand and cement? Or we depend on other states and be blackmailed and let Our Goan Children starve to death.
ReplyDeletePictor you have said it all. But our Varca Idiot Pig Chorchill does not see it that way.
ReplyDeleteIf you gave an Environmentalist the task of a feasibility study, he would prefer the Land left for farming.Farming is a Natural trade and has been the centre of mans existence for centuries.It also has no major environmental consequences.
ReplyDeleteIf you gave the Building / land Developers the task of a fesasibility study, they would suggest an airport is more appropriate.The pray to the "Gods of CONCRETE"
If you gave the 40 Rogues sitting in the Goa Legislature, the task of a feasibility study, they would all state that keeping their own Bank Balances and Bank Manager happy is paramount.
If you gave Goans the task of a feasibility study, they would all prefer that a toy model of an airport is shoved up the arses of the MLA`s.
The Congress government is showing its insensitivity towards the interests of the local people. The ICAO has ruled that two airports are not feasible for a tiny State like Goa. There is already another airport coming up nearby, in Maharashtra, besides the already existing airport at Dabolim.
ReplyDeleteThe land selected for the new airport at Mopa is situated on a plateau from where springs flow down and provide water for the population living downhill. These springs will dry up.
The airport will be constructed in a biodiversity hotspot - the Western Ghats.
The vast plantation on which thousand of people depend will be destroyed, the livelihood of those people will be destroyed.
Are our Ministers and MLAs so insensitive? They are ready to destroy the ecology; to destroy people's lives? All because of the MegaBucks and KickBacks involved? Or is there any other reason, any other explanation?