Margao: In a demonstration of grassroots resistance, women emerged as the driving force behind the ongoing agitation against the proposed 50 MLD bandhara project at Mirabag, with their numbers significantly outnumbering male protesters as the sit-in entered its fourth day on Friday.“When the village faces any kind of trouble, all of its women unite and face it boldly. We will teach a lesson to whoever torments our village,” said Saidnya Gaonkar, a villager. “We must embody the strength of Durga and Kali to fight those who come to destroy us. The entire village is up in arms—we will show them the power of women. Ignore our demand at your own peril,” said Gaonkar.The overwhelming participation of women added a new dimension to the agitation that began on Tuesday with traditional prayers to local rakhandars. Villagers from Mirabag and surrounding areas united in their opposition to the project, which they fear will devastate homes, livelihoods, and water resources.The protest gained traction after the water resources department allegedly ignored repeated requests for a public presentation on the project’s impact. Following a meeting on Wednesday of deputy collector Milind Velip and a three-member village delegation, the WRD was directed to hold a public consultation. However, protesters maintained their uncompromising stance.“Our protest will continue until the project is scrapped,” said Sanket Bhandari, a representative of the villagers.The movement garnered significant political backing, with Sanvordem sarpanch Chinmayee Naik confirming that the panchayat revoked its conditional NOC. Former minister Vinay Tendulkar promised to raise villagers’ concerns with the chief minister Pramod Sawant, while former MLA Dipak Pauskar urged the chief minister to intervene and scrap the project.Several activists also visited the protest site on Friday, extending their support to the agitation.
