MARINA SPORTS PROJECT IN SANCOALE by P. Cruz, Vasco Da Gama

Tycoon from Goa and keen water sports lover, Umaji V Chowgule, MD at Goa Yacht Haven Pvt Ltd. has plans to set up a Marina Sports project in Sancoale with the blessing of the Goa Government. Chowgule, whose family business interests range from mining to brewing the popular Arlem beer in Goa, has proposed a 300-boat marina in Sancoale village, in Mormugao Taluka, southern side/bank of the Zuari River in Goa with an investment of Rs. 100 crore.

Ocean Blue Marinas, which has set up a modern marina for the Mumbai boat show, has 15 projects in Goa, Kochi, Chennai and along the coasts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. It’s already in the process of building one in Goa, where Shroff says permission is the easiest to acquire. They have met the Minister for Sports and the Minister for Tourism (27-06-08 noonsite.htm) who both "says" they are keen to develop marinas, but they did have an audience of yachtsmen. Marina Sports is the one which has speed boat and various types of sports games for the tourist or rich people. It also has facilities like fuel stations, boat servicing, restaurant, beach recreation activities and good rooms or houses.

The area in Sancoale consists of the several Mangroves ( Kantor) all over the coast which helps prevent lot of destruction. According to the law they cannot be destroyed as these mangrove trees are highly productive and economical which also protect the shoreline from erosion and cyclonic conditions. The mangroves are angiosperms, with 45 species in India. They have special characters like viviparous germination, prop or knee roots and salt glands. These trees form a thick forest belt on the deltas, along major estuaries, and fringe the estuarine banks, as well as backwaters. The mangrove swamps are rich in the larvae of many economically important fishes, prawns, crabs and bivalves. These are the most suitable area for feeding, breeding and nursery grounds of these marine organisms and hence important for aquaculture purposes. Even the migrated birds also settled here. The first layer of red mangroves with their flexible branches and tangled roots hanging in the coastal waters absorb the first shock waves. The second layer of tall black mangroves then operates like a wall withstanding much of the sea’s fury. Mangroves in addition absorb more carbon dioxide per unit area than ocean phytoplankton, a critical factor in global warming. The mangroves have long functioned as a storehouse of materials providing food, Medicines, shelter and tools (Refer to “Save Mangroves” & “Why Save Mangroves”- for more information).

The company people try to cut down the mangroves and when the people saw that they stopped them by calling the concern authorities. They have permission and who passed the permission no one is aware (Who is the Authority & how much they received?). In the Regional Plan 2021 these mangroves are not shown and only shown are the mud flats. How the planners (The TCP/MPDA) can miss these mangroves which existed before we were born? What about the CRZ now why this is not applicable? The fisherman over there is also worried as this will take their livelihood or occupation. This area is abundant in fish that the fish will become extinct.

The problem the company had is they do not have access road from the main road (Highway) they tried to make a road from the field but the villagers came forward and stopped the road. The fields belong to communidade and there are tenants. They have NOC from the panchayat to make the road or fill the field with mud or soil. How the permission was granted when the law forbids it? From and from who they received the NOC in the Sancoale Panchayat? Who was the attorney at that time for the communidade? The proposed site is too close to the Archaeological site of the centuries old ruined Church of Our Lady of Health where the Blessed Fr. Jose Vaz wrote his Letter of Bondage to Mother Mary. No such project can be allowed within 100 mts of this holy archaeological site.

The dredging has already been started and also the survey is ongoing as they have received the permission of the concern authorities, I do not know how they received. Dredging can be prohibitively expensive affair and a controversial issue, just like Hotel Leela discovered when the government planned to dredge the river Sal in south Goa. A sustained agitation by the surrounding villagers of Assolna, Cavelossim, Velim, Betul and Ambelim saw the casino ship, which was to operate on river Sal after the dredging of the river bed, was finally towed away to the state capital, Panjim, and the government was forced to drop the controversial plan to dredge the river. The villagers are fighting under Moderator Rev. Fr. Ermito Rebello the priest of Sancoale. They have their committee and members to where some of the names are given below and also can be contacted.

I spoke to Rev. Fr. Ermito Rebello who gave me the brief about the project and the rest was informed by the members and their Convener Mr. Simon Carvalho. According to Mr. Carvalho these people are fighting against the project but the local MLA Mauvin Godhino is not helping them, even the non-goan Sarpanch Mrs. Sharda Rathod is washing her hands. As this property in which the project is coming is controversial, they require permission of Captain of Ports, MPT, PDA, Environmental Department, etc as we have to see how it is done. Mr. Carvalho also pointed out that when the Gram Sabha times comes the local MLA brings all the ghanttis from Zuarinagar and passes the motion by voice. Further each person are paid 1000 rupee note for coming there, the goans are outnumbered by non-goans the simple case. And by the way how they got election rights as they have houses but no house number from panchayat and how their names occupy in the election Rolls this has to be investigated ( I will write a separate article on that afterwards with the help of Mr. Carvalho). Even the youth who come to support the Agitation are neglected by the MLA and no help is given to them. The main problem is that they do not have a good and trustworthy Lawyer who can fight the case which is easily on their side. But who will fight? Who will pay lawyers fees and all the paper work fees? This is the only help required by the Forum.

These are names of the committee and some members:

Simon Carvalho (Convenor) +91 8322550417 e-mail add: s_carvalho@bsnl.in

Saby Fernandes ( Secretary)

Bosco Araujo (Treasurer)

Other Active Members:

Tulsidas Naik (Panch) +91 9822103346

Mrs. Jamina Pereira (Panch)

Mrs. Antonia Carvalho (Panch)

Mrs. Piedade/Mr. Timothy

J. B. Gonsalves

Lawrence Fernandes +91 9850454499

Damodar Naik

Prakash Naik

Peter Dias +91 9850475790

Romel Rodrigues

Rev. Fr. Ermito Rebello

+ 91 8322550263 e-mail add: sanjovaz@blessedjosephvaz.org