Protest seeks stop on illegal construction at Bambolim

Panaji: In a candlelight protest held against illegal constructions on hill slopes and on the beach at Bambolim, activists and others demanded a halt to these activities and restoration of the destroyed ecologically fragile areas.
The main protest was against illegalities of felling trees and deep excavation on hill slope that damaged aquifers by Worldwide Resorts. It also included ongoing construction of a retaining wall in the tidal zone by a hotel.
“We have demanded that environmental restoration experts be deployed to restore the slope. There are five aquifer punctures made in the hill slope which need to be repaired and restored,” said Avertino Miranda of Goa Green Brigade.
AAP’s Ramrao Wagh said that the Bambolim coastal area has been heavily concretised. “New spaces are being destroyed and nobody, including those who came to live here, will have any peace,” he said.
Placards in participants’ hands demanded freeing of pathways and scrapping of mega projects. A young protester holding his own placard said: stop cutting trees.
The participants, which included activists and St Andre MLA Viresh Borkar, members of Revolutionary Goans and others marched from the Holy Cross at Naushi to the beach. “Goans had protected their land but departments and panchayat have been colluding in illegal developments, which affected local fishermen,” he said at the protest meeting.