Thursday 5 November 2020

Call to scrap Nauxim Marina

 

Date: November 05, 2020

 

All Goa Small Scale Responsible Fisheries Union calls for scrapping of Marina project in Zuari river at Nauxim Goa on following grounds:

 

1. Lease deed of Kargwal constructions private Limited and Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) dated 12/10/2010 for approximately 1,00,000 square meters of water front of Zuari river for 30 years at the rate of Rs.4.87 per square meter per month is ill conceived from the beginning by vested interests to expel fishers from Zuari river and trigger food insecurity.

 

2. The lease agreement doesn't even acknowledge existence of fishing activities in Zuari river even though its permitted by Goa Fisheries department.

 

3. The lease agreement that is based upon the decisions of MPT that has ignored fishing activities in Zuari River as evident from the minutes. The sole criteria cited in the minutes to lease out Zuari River without consulting local traditional fishers is to generate incomes for MPT even if that requires expulsion of fishing activities.

 

4. The lease agreement that is based upon the Ports Land Policy prepared by Union Union ministry of Shipping is based on unjust principles that ignore fishing activities in Zuari river.

 

5. The Union government asserting its Jurisdiction over Zuari river and bestowing powers to MPT through a gazette notification of May 24, 2000 was done in an unethical manner without consulting with communities who are involved in fishing inside Zuari river for time immemorial. The consequences of such a nefarious act are the expulsion of fishing communities from Zuari River. All notifications of Central government extending MPT jurisdictions over Zuari River must be immediately withdrawn to avoid expulsion of fishers from Zuari River.

 

6. The ecological dangers of Marina to marine ecology are officially placed on record by Goa Bio-diversity Board in case of Yatch Haven marina by Chowgules inside Zuari River on Sancoale river front. Same report is relevant to Nauxim Marina too.

 

7. Fishing communities are opposing marina at Nauxim based on their wisdom accumulated over the centuries. As per their understanding Marina project at Nauxim will destroy both human habitat at river coast as well fish habitats in Zuari River. Fisheries will suffer to an unimaginable extent.

 

8. The understanding of fishers that it will destroy fisheries is confirmed by the impact quantification calculations presented in the EIA report prepared for Nauxim marina and put out in public domain by Goa State Pollution Control Board.

 

9. The joint reading of Tables 5.2 and 5.9 reveals that Fisheries in Zuari River will have permanent negative impact of the nature that is major, long-term and irreversible. Fisheries can be destroyed in this manner only if marine environments are destroyed and the cited tables do indicate major long term negative impacts to marine environment.

 

10. The laws and policies of India that provide powers to Ports overriding the existing fishing activities are based upon unethical foundations of injustice, inequality, impoverishment, livelihood destruction, damage to marine ecology and promoting food insecurity. These laws and policies needs to be done away with urgently.

 

11. Marina at Nauxim is combined assault on livelihood of fishing communities from several Coastal villages on Zuari river northern and southern bank and on food security of several people who are dependent upon fish as an ingredient of their food.

 

12. Ignoring all the above points on October 05, 2020 Kargwal Constructions private limited from Sion, Mumbai has filed Writ of Mandamus at the Goa Bench of Bombay High Court against State of Goa. Writ has called upon the Court to determine (a) whether Public Consultation is required as it is mandatory requirement by law, and (b) whether indefinite postponement of environmental public hearing in case of "Ahoy Marina" at Nauxim is unjust to the project proponent.

 

13. As last 10 years of public struggle has ensured non-enforcement of marina at Nauxim it is now urgent that the project be scrapped totally by cancellation of the lease deed itself rather than put the issue languishing for further litigations causing tensions and unrest to the fishing communities of Goa.

 

You are called upon to act decisively on the above matter.

Roque Menezes

(President)