Margao: The environment department on Monday assured a review of the controversial coal jetty projects at Assolda after a large number of residents from Assolda, Curchorem, Xelvona, Hodar, and surrounding areas descended on the department’s office in Panaji.The demonstration, which also saw the participation of Curchorem MLA Nilesh Cabral and Congress state president Amit Patkar, was borne out of the Goa State Environment Appraisal Committee’s recommendation of environmental clearance for two contentious jetty projects at Bag-Xelvona and Hodor—projects that locals insist are designed solely for coal transportation.Inside the office, a delegation of protestors confronted environment director Sachin Dessai with what they described as a deeply compromised survey report. Social activist Aditya Dessai, who was part of the delegation, told TOI, “We placed before the director and officials a map of the site, which clearly shows thick vegetation, mangroves, agricultural fields, coconut groves, hills, and forests. We asked them how the department’s survey report is completely silent on all of this.”The delegation also raised a pointed question: if there was no access to the site for conducting a proper survey, how was the survey conducted in the first place? Officials, according to the delegation, failed to provide satisfactory answers. The delegation also demanded that action be taken against all the officials who submitted the “fraudulent” survey report.They also questioned officials on a significant legal lapse—that villagers were not consulted before the recommendation for approval was issued, in direct violation of an order by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directing the GSEIAA to consider residents’ concerns before approving the projects.Following sustained pressure from the delegation, officials assured that the project proposal would be placed before the Goa State Impact Assessment Authority at its next meeting, and that a six-member team constituted by the panchayat would be present during the review.Cabral, speaking to reporters outside the environment department office, said, “Our demand is the scrapping of the jetty.”Protesters warned that they would escalate the agitation if concrete action to scrap the jetty projects is not taken soon.
